10 ‘West Wing’ Couples, Ranked
Americans tuned into The West Wing for a lot of things when it premiered 25 years ago on September 22, 1999.
An adrenaline rush of political maneuvering. A history lesson in the American presidency. A masterclass in propulsive writing from creator Aaron Sorkin. A controversially idealistic belief that elected officials and staff can actually agree long enough to make substantive change for the nation (a feeling we long for today).
But one thing that didn’t always take precedence in the administration of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) was romance. That’s not to say love wasn’t in the air. The amount of time White House staffers spent together passionately fighting for the causes that got them up in the morning meant emotions were always running high. Couples were bound to emerge and be cut down, and some of them were among the best parts of the series.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, we tear away the politics to rank the 10 best couples that kept The West Wing running on more than just coffee and civic duty.
10. Josh and Amy
When Amy Gardner (Mary-Louise Parker), the head of the Women’s Leadership Coalition, arrived in Season 3, her immediate sparks with Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) were undeniable. The workaholic had found someone he could go toe-to-toe with — before going to bed with. He relished the playful tension between them, and she was established enough in her own circles that she could stand on her own beyond him. They were fun to watch, and one of the only true relationship storylines to be intertwined into the action of the series. Unfortunately for them, two headstrong personalities often clash more than they cuddle. Plus, many viewers were already deeply invested in Josh’s relationship with someone else on this list. More on that later…
9. Toby and Andy
White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) was not always the easiest character to love. In fact, his soft-spoken nature was quite notorious. But when it counted, Toby was a lover, and he was never more in love than with his ex-wife, Andrea “Andy” Wyatt (Kathleen York), a congresswoman from Maryland. Now, this was not necessarily a happy love story. Toby and Andy divorced during the first year of the Bartlet administration, partially due to their difficulty conceiving. But their relationship never died out, and they had twins in the days after Bartlet’s reelection. It prompted Toby to try and change everything that didn’t work with them before, but Andy rather cruelly dismissed his desire to rekindle their marriage beyond co-parenting. It was sad, but the relationship gave us a softer side of Toby, which counts for something.
8. Leo and Jordan
We didn’t get nearly enough time with White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (the late John Spencer) and his sweet, subtle romance with Jordan Kendall (Joanna Gleason), his counsel during the congressional hearings over Bartlet’s multiple sclerosis coverup. There wasn’t much resolution for these two. Jordan pretty much disappeared after Bartlet was reelected. But for a fleeting moment in the chaos of running the country and the campaign to keep the job, Leo’s brief moments with Jordan were magically normal. Him playfully trying to get her to ditch the hearings with him to go for dinner was the side of Leo we loved to see. And the dance they share in his office in the waning hours of Election Night (her last appearance) remains a highlight of his entire series arc.
7. Ainsley and Sam
OK, so these two never dated. Nor did they ever kiss. But the chemistry between Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) and Republication North Carolina lawyer Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) was undeniable. If it hadn’t been for CSI: Miami, which poached Proctor during Season 3, the possibilities for these two were endless. From the first time they spared on Capital Beat, when she absolutely obliterated him on public education and geography, their political differences and strong wills made them ideal partners in across-the-aisle policy and flirtatiously-charged walk and talks. We missed out on something special with “Sinsley!”
6. Matt and Helen
It’s hard to come into an established series and make a mark not only on the story but on the hearts of devout viewers entrenched in their favorite ‘ships. What was so beautiful about prospective Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and his wife, Helen (Teri Polo), was how easily a sturdy relationship like theirs slotted into the show. Sure, there were disagreements and rocky days. But there was a remarkably grounded and reliable stability to their relationship, with her standing like a rock at his side as he launched a rousing (and successful) campaign.
5. Danny and C.J.
There was perhaps no one that audiences rooted for more than press secretary turned chief of staff C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney). Across the scope of the whole series, no one matched her quite like Washington Post White House correspondent Danny Concannon (Timothy Busfield). Setting aside the murky ethical waters of the press secretary being romantically involved with a pool reporter, these two were among the most consistent couples in the series. Danny was never a regular presence, but when he was there, he and C.J. had the kind of rapport that few around them could protest. When the series finale revealed they ended up together and eventually had a kid, it all felt written in the stars — and in print.
4. Zoey and Charlie
The relationship between Zoey (Elisabeth Moss), the youngest daughter of the president, and Charlie (Dulé Hill), his personal aide, became a lightning rod of controversy for some (the white supremacists who tried to assassinate Charlie in the Season 1 finale but hit the president and Josh) and something to celebrate for those who knew them best. Charlie was like a surrogate son to the president, and he was there every step of the way for Zoey, especially when she was kidnapped in Season 4. Yes, we know it seems like their relationship was just one crisis after another (and it kind of was). But they weathered it all, even when they weren’t together. We only dock them some points in this ranking because we don’t know what happened with these crazy kids. Charlie pondered asking Zoey to marry him in Season 6, but it never happened — nor was it ever mentioned again. A baffling oversight for such a consequential relationship.
3. C.J. and Simon
Maybe the tragedy of this one makes our hearts only grow fonder for it in hindsight. Still, C.J.’s short but unbelievably sweet romance with Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan (Mark Harmon) was among the show’s best storylines. Shockingly, Harmon was only in four episodes of Season 3. But by the time the two shared their one and only kiss on the snowy streets of New York City, it proved just how much we cared about these characters, especially C.J., who found genuine connection beyond their dogged commitment to civil service. The fact that he was senselessly killed in a convenience store robbery moments later while buying her a Snickers and a rose still cuts deep.
2. Josh and Donna
Naturally, there was an almost instantaneous desire among viewers to see Josh and his senior assistant Donna (Janel Moloney) act on the witty repartee they shared. But for the best seasons of The West Wing, Josh and Donna worked because their relationship was quasi-professional (not romantic per se, but rather overly familiar at times). She kept his life straight so he could move the needle on the president’s priorities.
Beyond their daily bumbling, they were perhaps the most effective pair in the White House. He needed her and had to truly see how deeply he needed her before they could ever be anything more. So when they finally got together as the series ended, it felt both inevitable and perfectly timed. In many ways, they are the defining couple of the series because they filled that “will they/won’t they” quota. But more than that, they were a reward for viewers who waded through the rocky years of the series, which served a lot of narrative masters. But it never forgot about Josh and Donna.
1. Bartlet and Abbey
The West Wing had a lot to say about the ways in which the federal government works for the people. But one point it made across its seven seasons was that a strong partnership at the top will keep a president on their toes. Jed and First Lady Abbey (Stockard Channing) were the pillar of strength this show needed. We only get Abbey here and there through the show’s run, but when she was the sounding board for her husband, it was when he was at his best. She tested him, pushed him, and supported him through everything. It was the kind of commitment we want in the people we elect to fight for us.
There were many incredible moments of subtle and grand devotion between the two of them, but one that is seared into our brains happened in Season 4 on Election Night, right after the president got off the stage from celebrating his reelection with supporters. She noticed a tremor in his hand, a signal that his MS had reemerged. He said he wanted to enjoy the night but confessed he was scared — a rare moment of emotional vulnerability that Martin Sheen played beautifully. A renowned physician in her own right, Abbey took his hand and bluntly told her husband his condition was going to deteriorate further in his second term. Nothing about the next four years would be easy. But in the same breath, she lovingly assured Bartlet that there would be plenty more nights like this for them to enjoy. In the midst of jubilation and a sigh of relief, this moment of steely resolve spoke volumes about why the Bartlets were the First Couple The West Wing could get behind.
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