ward heeler

n. Informal
A worker for the ward organization of a political machine.

(ward HEE-luhr)

noun
A low-level political operative who solicits votes and performs chores for his political bosses or political machine. Also called heeler.

Etymology
From ward, a subdivision of a city for voting or administrative purposes. Heeler, from the idea of a hanger-on following at the heels of his boss, and also as a reference to his door-to-door canvassing for votes. The term has negative connotations and a ward heeler is generally considered to be an unscrupulous character.

Usage
"He (Pierre Trudeau) ... dispensed patronage like the best ward heeler." — Jeffrey Simpson, et al; Pierre Elliott Trudeau; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 29, 2000.

"This time around, ward heelers worked their toxic magic in a dozen different ways, from unduly influencing voters to manipulating the final count with bogus votes." — Richard S. Dunham, et al; Sleight of Hand at the Polls; BusinessWeek (New York); Nov 27, 2000.

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IN BRIEF: n. - A politician who belongs to a small clique that controls a political party for private rather than public ends.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a politician who belongs to a small clique that controls a political party for private rather than public ends
  Synonyms: machine politician, political hack, hack

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