THANKS FOR COMING DOWN.

>> Mary: HAPPY TO HAVE YOU IN OUR INDUSTRY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANKS YOU.

>> MARY: TIME TO FILE FOR OFFICE HAS CLOSED AND THE CAMPAIGN FOR CONTROL AT THE STATE CAPITOL HAS BEGUN.

THAT WAS CLEAR AS THE SENATE'S BIGGEST CONTROVERSY RETURNED TO THE CAPITOL THIS WEEK.

HERE'S HOW IT ALL CONNECTS.

>> I AM CALLING THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ETHICAL CONDUCT TO ORDER.

>> Mary: SENATOR NICOLE MITCHELL, THE DEMOCRAT CHARGED WITH FELONY BURGLARY, APPEARED IN PERSON FOR ANOTHER ETHICS HEARING.

>> WE HAVE NO MORE -- NO NEW INFORMATION OR CHANGES THAT WE WOULD PERHAPS FIND ANOTHER DAY TO MEET AFTER SENATOR MITCHELL HAS A HEARING.

>> Mary: WITH NOR COURT HEARINGS AHEAD, THIS COMMITTEE WILL RECONVENE JULY 25th TO CONTINUE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO JUDGE ONE OF THEIR OWN.

>> BY JULY 25th, THIS CASE WILL NOT BE SUBSTANTIALLY ADVANCED TO THE POINT THAT THERE WOULD BE NEW INFORMATION.

>> Mary: MITCHELL'S ATTORNEY SAID ANY COURT JUDGMENTS IS MONTHS AWAY, AS DID HE ALL THE TALKING FOR THE SENATOR WHO STAYED SILENT.

>> I DO PRACTICE CRIMINAL DEFENSE.

>> Mary: THE EVEN POLITICAL SPLIT ON THE PANEL MAKES DECISIONS DIFFICULT BUT IN THEIR FIRST MEETING SINCE SESSION ENDED, THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS HAVE CHANGED.

>> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ANY AND ALL INFORMATION THAT'S RELEVANT FOR THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT COMES UP.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL CAUTION US TO IS NOT TO ALLOW OTHER THOUGHTS OF PARTY LEADERS OR ANYONE ELSE SAYING SOMEONE SHOULD RESIGN, THAT IS THAT PERSON'S OWN DECISION.

>> CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE HAVE MADE CALLS FOR RESIGNATION, THE PARTY CHAIR, SOME POLITICAL DYNAMICS HAVE SHIFTED, THE LEGAL DYNAMICS ARE WHAT THEY ARE HERE.

>> Mary: SENATOR MATHEWS DID JUST SAY THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS HAVE CHANGED, MAYBE LEGALLY IT HASN'T, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

>> YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.

WHICH NEED TO LET THE LEGAL PORTION OF IT PLAY OUT AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S BEEN DELAYED NOW UNTIL EARLY JEWEL.

THERE'S POTENTIAL THAT SOME BODY CAM FOOTAGE WILL BE RELEASED AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

>> WE COULD CALL OURSELVES BACK INTO ANOTHER ETHICS COMMITTEE MEETING SOONER IF WE HAVE RELEVANT INFORMATION THAT COMES OUT LIKE THE BODY CAM.

>> Mary: SENATOR MITCHELL HAS MADE IT CLEAR SHE DOES NOT INTEND TO RESIGN SO THERE WILL NOT BE A SPECIAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER FOR HER SEAT BUT THERE IS A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR A SENATOR RUNNING FOR CONGRESS AND THAT ELECTION WILL DECIDE CONTROL AT THE CAPITOL, ESPECIALLY IN THE SENATE.

>> THE DFL PARTIES THAT HAVE SHIFTED SO I HAVE THEIR MESSAGING, KEN MARTIN'S STATEMENT, GOVERNOR WALZ' STATEMENTS, SOME OF OUR SENATE COLLEAGUES, THOSE THINGS SHIFTED AFTER SESSION.

>> IT'S INTERESTING THAT A LOT OF THE DEMOCRATS ERE SAYING DURING SESSION THAT WE HAD TO LET DUE PROCESS PLAY OUT AND THEN AS SOON AS SESSION WAS OVER, THE DEMOCRATS WERE SAYING THAT SHE SHOULD RESIGN SO I THINK THAT'S THE POLITICAL DYNAMIC THAT HAS SHIFTED NOW THAT SESSION IS OVER AND THERE WERE NO MORE VOTES TO BE TAKEN.

>> AS A DOCTOR, YOU HAVE TO BE A TRUTH-TELLER.

>> Mary: WITH THE RESIGNATION OF STATE SENATOR KELLY MORRISON TO RUN FOR CONGRESS AGAINST FORMER LAWMAKER TAD JUDE -- >> I'VE LED A LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE.

>> Mary: THE SENATE IS NOW TIED 33-33 WITH NO MAJORITY UNTIL AFTER A NOVEMBER SPECIAL ELECTION.

>> THE SENATE IS IN A TIE.

DOES THIS MEAN YOU CANNOT A HAVE A SPECIAL SESSION IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE NOTHING CAN GET DONE IN THE SENATE?

>> WE COULD HAVE A SPECIAL SESSION IF GOVERNOR WALZ CALLED US BACK FOR A SPECIAL SESSION.

IT WOULD FORCE THE DEMOCRATS TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE REPUBLICANS WHICH IN REALITY SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWAYS.

THAT'S WHAT THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA WANT.

>> LET'S GET BACK TO THE BASICS.

>> Mary: ENDING ONE-PARTY CONTROL WILL BE A KEY ASPECTS OF THE SINGLE SENATE SPECIAL ELECTION FEATURING CANDIDATES WHO HAVE RUN BEFORE.

ONE OF THE DEMOCRATS HAS WON BUT RETIRED.

>> I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN FRICKIN' PAVEMENT.

>> Mary: AND LAST ELECTION, THE DFL HAD A 12 PERCENTAGE POINT MARGIN OF VICTORY.

STILL, THIS COULD SET AN ALL-TIME SPENDING RECORD, SOMETHING THE FORMER CAUCUS LEADER WOULD ONCE BE DECIDING.

>> AS A RANK AND FILE MEMBER, I AM NO LONGER INVOLVED ON THE CAMPAIGN SIDE OF THINGS.

>> Mary: POLITICALLY, DO YOU THINK THE MITCHELL CASE WOULD BE RELEVANT IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION?

>> I THINK THE MITCHELL SITUATION ALONG WITH ANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR STATE AND THE COUNTRY ARE VERY RELEVANT IN ANY SPECIAL ELECTION RIGHT NOW, WHETHER IT'S IN MINNESOTA OR ANY OTHER STATES.

>> Mary: AND DO YOU EXPECT TO COMPETE IN THAT?

IT'S CONTROL OF THE SENATE AT STAKE IN ONE SPECIAL ELECTION.

>> ABSOLUTELY, I EXPECT IT TO BE A GOOD RACE.

>> Mary: IN THE HOUSE, WHERE PARTY CONTROL IS ALSO AT STAKE WITH ALL 134 MEMBERS STANDING FOR ELECTION, VARIOUS GROUPINGS ARE USING