1.

>> A SHUTDOWN FOR ARKS IS COMING.

>> Mary: APPRECIATE YOU, LADIES.

GREAT STUFF.

THE FRESHMAN LAWMAKER IS QUICK ON HIS FEET AS AN ULTRA MARATHON RUNNER.

HE RAN ACROSS THE BOUNDARY WATERS, AN AREA HE SPENT THE LAST DECADE ADVOCATING FOR.

FIRST QUESTION I ASK EVERYBODY, WHY DID YOU RUN?

>> I'VE ALWAYS KIND OF BEEN IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE.

IN COLLEGE I WAS IN THE COLLEGE DEMS, WORKED WITH THE WELLSTONE CAMPAIGN, TRAGICALLY WHEN HIS PLANE CRASHED.

SO, POLITICS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING.

I JUST GOT THIS WINDY PATH OF HOW I GOT HERE.

I WAS A BIO MAJOR, DECIDED I DIDN'T WANT TO BE A DOCTOR.

WENT TO LOYOLA FOR IMMUNOLOGY PhD, I WAS WORKING WITH OBAMA CAMPAIGN WHEN I WAS INSPECT THE LAB.

IT WAS AT THAT POINT, OKAY, SOMETHING'S GOT TO CHANGE.

WENT BACK TO MINNESOTA.

GOT AN INTERNSHIP WITH THE DFL, GREW UP IN THE PARTY.

MOST RECENTLY FOR THE PAST DECADE, BEEN WORKING WITH THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN POLITICALLY ACTIVE.

AND WHEN LORI PRYOR ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT, JUST KIND OF LIKE, AH, I WONDER.

AND I WAS CTUALLY IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS, SOMEWHERE IS OUT THERE, FOUND THE COURAGE, YEAH, I SHOULD DO THIS.

IT'S KIND OF A UNIQUE SPOT FOR ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SO INVOLVED AND HAVE BEEN PUSHING ON PUBLIC ADVOCACY AND PROGRESSIVE ISSUES AND CAUSES AND, SO, IT'S JUST KIND OF THE TIME, MAYBE I CAN DO THIS FROM THE INSIDE, NOT JUST FROM THE OUTSIDE.

>> Mary: SO YOUR BACKGROUND'S VERY POLICY ORIENTED.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: IT SEEMS LIKE.

DID IT FEEL DIFFERENT TO GO TO THE POLITICAL SIDE A LITTLE HARDER?

>> I KNOW HOW TO RUN A CAMPAIGN, RUN CAMPAIGNS, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE ONE TELLING OTHER CANDIDATES WHAT TO DO.

BUT NOW THE SCRIPT WAS FLIPPED, I HAVE TO BE THE ONE LISTEN TO ADVICE, BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO.

BUT THEN I UNDERSTOOD FROM CANDIDATES THAT I'VE WORKED WITH PREVIOUSLY.

SUDDENLY IT'S MY NAME ON THE BALLOT, ON ALL THE LAWN SIGNS.

ALL THAT.

KIND OF LIKE, OH, I SEE WHERE THE CRAZY KIND OF CAMPAIGN BRAIN TAKES OVER.

NORMALLY SANE PERSON, BUT WHEN THEY'RE ON THE BALLOT, EVERYTHING CHANGES.

>> Mary: YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF THE PHYSICAL CHALLENGE IN CAMPAIGNING BECAUSE OF YOUR BACKGROUND.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RUNNING.

>> I'M AN LTRA DISTANCE MARATHON RUNNER.

100-MILE DISTANCES.

I'VE DONE FOUR RACES AT 100 MILES AND MORE.

I'M THE ONLY PERSON TO RUN ACROSS THE BOUNDARY WATERS, HIKING TRAILS, EAST TO WEST, MEET IN THE MIDDLE, KEEP GOING, AS AN ADVOCACY PROJECT FOR A CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

YEAH, ENDURANCE RUNNING, WHICH I THINK WILL FIT WELL FOR 8 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, BECAUSE IT'S AN ENDURANCE SPOT IN AND OF ITSELF.

>> Mary: I WANT TO BREAK THAT DOWN, IT DOES TAKE FOCUS, DETERMINATION.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: REYELLS.

I MEAN -- RESILIENCE.

HOW WILL THE QUALITIES YOU'VE LEARNED, NOT JUST MARATHONING, BUT ULTRA MARATHONING, HELP YOU THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES HERE?

>> YEAH, TOUGH TIMES.

I'VE BEEN RUNNING, TOO MUCH INFORMATION, CUT IT OUT, BUT MY LAST 100--MILE RUN, I SPENT A MARATHON DISTANCE OVERNIGHT PUKING, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY NUTRITION DIALED IN.

SO I KNOW THAT I CAN GET THROUGH ALMOST ANYTHING.

WHATEVER PAIN, WHATEVER PERSONAL SACRIFICE, WHAT'S -- WHATEVER'S GOING ON, HAVE MY EYE ON THE END OAL, GET THROUGH SESSION, GET A BUDGET PASSED FOR THE STATE.

AND WE CAN DO THAT.

AND, SO, IT'S JUST GUTTING IT OUT.

STICKING WITH IT.

YOU HAVE A GOAL.

YOU'RE GOING TO FINISH IT NO MATTER WHAT.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT THE HISTORY AND CHAOS, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY IF THE HOUSE IS GOING TO BE TIED, SLIGHTLY MAJORITY.

IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSE, IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH NO MATTER WHAT WHAT.

HOW DOES FEEL FEW?

>> REGARDLESS HOW THINGS SHAKE OUT FOR WHEN WE START BUSINESS T DOES OFFER A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE'RE IN, ESSENCE, FORCED TO WORK TOGETHER.

YES, IT'S POLITICALLY POLARIZED TIMES, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO GET ANYTHING DONE, BY NECESSITY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE, NOTHING IS GOING TO GET PASSED WITHOUT EACH OTHER.

AS A FRESHMAN MEMBER, I THINK IT OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL LAST INTO THE FUTURE.

JUST BECAUSE IGHT NOW WE HAVE TO.

WE CAN'T IGNORE ONE ANOTHER.

SO, FROM THAT, FROM A GOOD GOVERNANCE STANDPOINT, I'M ACTUALLY PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT T. >> Mary: EDEN PRAIRIE, THE AREA, HAS GONE THE WAY OF THE WESTERN SUBURBS HAVE GONE, LESS COMPETITIVE, HAVE YOU SEEP THAT CHANGE?

>> YEAH.

SO I HAVE BOTH MINNETONKA AND EDEN PRAIRIE, SOUTHERN PART OF MINNETONKA, NORTHERN PART OF EDEN PRAIRIE.

AND, YEAH, IT'S, BACK IN 2010, '10 OR '12, I MANAGED THE CONGRESSIONAL RACE OUT THERE, AND WE JUST GOT SHELACKED AND FAST FORWARD A DECADE LATER, IT'S A BLUE DISTRICT.

>> Mary: WHAT HAPPENED?

THAT'S A BIG CHANGE IN TEN YEARS.

WHAT DID YOU SEE?

>> MY TAKE IS A LOT OF THE OLD KIND OF ROCKEFELLER REPUBLICANS HAVE RETIRED, MOVED ON.

PASSED AWAY.

NEW FAMILIES ARE COMING IN WHICH ARE MUCH MORE PROGRESSIVE MINDED IN THEIR IDEALISM.

AND, SO, THERE'S BEEN KIND OF A GENERATIONAL CHANGEOVER, AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE MOVING IN ARE DIFFERENT THAN IT USED TO BE.

AND, SO, THERE'S A LOT MORE PROGRESSIVE FAMILIES, THERE'S A LOT MORE DIVERSITY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DISTRICT, IN PARTICULAR, KIND OF NEAR THE EDEN PRAIRIE MALL.

A LOT MORE SOMALI, INDIAN, PAKISTAN, MUSLIM COMMUNITY.

>> Mary: HOW WILL YOU JUDGE SUCCESS AT THE END OF SESSION?

>> IF WE CAN JUST KEEP LIGHTS ON FOR THE STATE BUDGET, I THINK -- I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT MINNESOTA NEEDS.

THAT'S WHAT VOTERS EXPECT.

SO WE NEED TO PASS A BUDGET.

WE CAN'T BE FACING A SHUTDOWN