Later, while Carcetti and Wilson are campaigning downtown, State Delegate Watkins shows a flier linking Carcetti to a notorious slumlord. Wilson recognizes the flier as a last-minute smear tactic by Royce, but Carcetti becomes agitated that the attack might work. Carcetti, Wilson, D'Agostino, and Gerry discuss how to respond to the flier.
The passage describes a political campaign scenario where negative information is being used against Carcetti, prompting him and his allies to strategize how to counter the attack.