B.J. Pinkerton things it’s great that her mother is running for mayor! But there’s never been a woman mayor before, and her mother is a Democrat while the rest of the town is Republican. It takes a lot of hard work to make an underdog into a winner. In fact, ten-year-old B.J., her sister and three brothers, her father, and the dog have to make some big sacrifices—like having hot dogs for dinner every night. But can her mother really win? If so, why did her campaign manager say she’s “a sure loser”? And why does he spend so much time with the other candidate? B.J. smells a rat, and she’s determined to find out who it is!