During a California beach party, high school students show their support for the two juniors running for student body president. Campaign manager Bobby DeVito takes bets for his candidate, Grant Michelson, while staring longingly at Grant’s opponent, his own ex-girl friend Christine Alexander, as she cuddles with her new boyfriend, football quarterback and current senior class president Kevin Hawkins. Meanwhile, Bobby’s sister, Donna, pines for a virtually unknown junior named Darryl Fitzgerald, who also nurses a crush on Christine. The next day, Bobby and his friend, Dean Hampton, learn that Christine engineered Grant’s suspension from school and is now running unopposed. With two weeks left until the students vote, Bobby and Dean are desperate to find a replacement candidate since they have bet a lot of money against Christine. When he encounters Darryl, Bobby decides Darryl’s anonymity makes him the perfect contender to run against Christine. Darryl demurs until Bobby points out that being a candidate is the perfect way to get popular girls such as Christine to notice him. Minutes later, at the school assembly to introduce the candidates, Darryl delivers a heartfelt speech and makes a favorable impression on his classmates. Later that day, Christine and Kevin argue when they realize that his failure to secure a college football scholarship derails their plans for the future. Meanwhile, Bobby grooms his candidate for the election by having Darryl’s hair artfully cut, showcasing his talent with dominoes, having him learn the names of influential classmates and insisting he familiarize himself with the issue of illegal search and seizure, since the topic has become important to high school students across the city. Darryl becomes a skillful campaigner and begins to enjoy his growing popularity. Sometime later, Christine challenges Darryl to a debate, then accuses him of being Bobby’s puppet when he declines. That afternoon, when Darryl reports to Bobby that he accepted Christine’s offer of a public debate, Bobby angrily insists Darryl cannot beat Christine. Darryl retorts that he needs to prove that he can rise to the challenge and does not need Bobby’s help to win. Days later, as the candidates prepare for their debate, Dean rushes into the room and informs the gathered students that police are hassling one of their classmates, Duane Jackson. The students run into the hallway in time to see several policemen escort Duane to his locker, force him to open it, and search it until they find a plastic bag of marijuana. While Duane denies the drugs are his and the policemen prepare to arrest him, Darryl speaks up. When he quotes California law, shouting that the policemen’s actions are illegal, the police officers abandon the arrest and leave as the students cheer Darryl. On election day, Donna watches Darryl soliciting votes and he admits to her how much he wants to win. Meanwhile, Bobby and Christine call a truce. Though they tenderly reminisce about their past relationship, she confirms she is still going to the prom with Kevin the next night. Soon after, Kevin declares Darryl the winner of the election. Later, Darryl visits Bobby and apologizes for not properly acknowledging Bobby’s contribution to his victory. Assuring him all is forgiven, Bobby rushes Darryl out his back door, then answers the front door and pays off the men he hired to pretend to be policemen harassing Duane. When the men leave, Bobby realizes that Darryl returned and witnessed the transaction. As Bobby protests that he had to prevent Christine from winning, Darryl expresses dismay that he didn’t win the election honestly. At school the next day, Darryl explains to his classmates that the police raid had been staged, in lieu of giving an acceptance speech. He admits he wanted to be class president more than anything but knows he cannot accept the office because he did not really earn it. Darryl runs out of the auditorium and drives away without hearing his classmates chanting, “We want Darryl!” That evening, Donna visits Darryl and informs him everyone knows how much courage it took to admit the truth, so the students still support him. Then she suggests that Darryl take her to the prom. Later, Bobby and Christine arrive at the dance with their respective dates but are soon drawn to each other. Leaving their dates behind, Bobby and Christine cross the crowded dance floor and dance together.