TWO OF YOU BACK DOWN THERE TO VOTE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

>> MARY: OUR FIRST-TERM LAWMAKER IS A REPUBLICAN WHO REPRESENTS A GROWING AND CHANGING DISTRICT.

AS A FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, HE BELIEVES IN STARTING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

IN THE QUESTION WE START WITH EVERYONE, IS WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN FOR THIS OFFICE?

>> I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS AS AN ACTIVIST AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN EXHIBIT IN IT SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND GOT INVOLVED IN THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT.

I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN COMMUNICATIONS, BROADCAST, WRITTEN, DONE SOME WORK AS AN EDITOR OR CONTRIBUTOR AND HAD MY OWN RADIO SHOW FOR A FEW YEARS.

I'VE DEVELOPED A LOT OF CONNECTIONS IN THE POLITICAL WORLD AND AS YOU WELL KNOW, WHEN REDISTRICTING HAPPENS, ITS KY KIND OF LIKE SOMEBODY BUMPING THE TABLE AS YOU'RE PLAYING A GAME AND ALL THE PIECES GET KNOCKED OVER AND IT PRESENTED THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS HISTORIC FRESHMAN CLASS THAT WE HAVE SEEN COME IN.

MOPING THAT I WASN'T GOING TO STEP ON ANYBODY'S TOES BECAUSE IT'S ANNUAL OPEN DISTRICT, I DECIDED TO THROW MY HAT IN THE RINK AND HERE WE ARE.

>> Mary: YOUR DISTRICTS IS GROWING, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE YOU'RE BOOMING, RIGHT?

>> THE FARM LAND IS SLOWLY SHRINKING AWAY AND BEING REPLACED BY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT COME WITH FAMILIES.

>> Mary: HOW HARD IS THAT TO REPRESENT SO MANY NEW PEOPLE AND PROBABLY THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS?

>> I'M NOT UNIQUE IN THAT REGARD.

THERE IS A LOT OF HOUSING BOOMING GOING ON, WHICH IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING PHENOMENON BECAUSE IT BEGS A LOT OF INTERESTING QUESTIONS REGARDING HOW SUSTAINABLE THAT IS.

I GREW UP IN COTTAGE GROVE WHICH IS A VERY SIMILAR COMMUNITY IN THAT HEN MY PARENTS BOUGHT THEIR HOME IN COTTAGE IN ABOUT 1993, WHEN YOU LOOKED OUT THE FRONT WINDOW OF OUR HOUSE, YOU SAW THE SUBURB AND WHEN YOU LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW, YOU SAW FARM LAND.

>> Mary: WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM SERVING ON CITY COUNCIL THAT NOW HELPS YOU IN THE LEGISLATURE?

>> I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT EXPERIENCE AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT FOR ANYBODY WHO IS ASPIRING TO SERVE IN STATE GOVERNMENT OR ABOVE THAT, YOU START LOCALLY BECAUSE IT TAKES THE EDGE OFF OF YOUR ACTIVISM.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I'M ANY LESS PRINCIPLED OR CONVICTED OF AN ACTIVIST THAN I WAS BEFORE I STARTED SERVING IN THE CITY COUNCIL BUT WHAT -- >> Mary: IF I CAN JUMP IN, PEOPLE MIGHT DESCRIBE YOU AS EDGY.

[Laughter] RIGHT?

>> SURE.

>> Mary: THAT'S FAIR.

>> YOU'RE BEING QUITE KIND.

YOU GO CHECK ON MY TWITTER FEED, I'M PUSHING THE EDGES -- >> Mary: YOU'RE NOT AFRAID TO PICK A FIGHT, HONESTLY, RIGHT?

>> NO, NO.

>> Mary: OR TO TAKE YOUR OFFENSE, DEFERENCE, I WOULD SAY YOU LAY BOTH, RIGHT?

>> SURE.

I KIND OF LOOK AT IT AS THERE ARE DIFFERENT RHETORICAL STYLES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, RIGHT?

SO A PREACHER ON SUNDAY IS GOING TO THUMP THE PULPIT AND PREACH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, OR AT LEAST THEY USED TO.

BUT WHEN HE GOES TO VISIT SOMEBODY ON THEIR DEATH BED, HE'S NOT GOINGS TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE CONTEXT IS DIFFER, IT WILL BE MORE RELIABLE AND SPECIFIC TO THE PERSON AND I FEEL AS THOUGH THAT TRANSLATES TO POLITICS, SWEAT.

>> Mary: DO YOU GET THAT OPPORTUNITY IN THE MINORITY TO BE IN A ROOM AND WORK WITH PEOPLE IN THE MINORITY?

>> SOMETIMES.

SOMETIMES.

IT VERY MUCH DEPENDS ON THE PERSON AND THE SSUE.

ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT WAS THE INDIAN FAMILY PRESERVATION ACT, I BELIEVE IT WAS CALLED, THAT WAS AUTHORED BY REPRESENTATIVE HEATHER KIELER.

THAT BILL WAS COME THROUGH THE COMMITTEE AND I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT, AT ALL, AND I WAS READING THROUGH THE BILL AND HAD SOME REALLY NERDY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW IT WORKS AND SO I SENT HER AN EMAIL AND SHE WAS SO EXCITED THAT SOMEBODY CARED ABOUT THAT BILL THAT SHE HOOKED ME UP WITH A ZOOM AND HAD ME TALKING TO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT EXPERTS AND WALKED MEE -- >> Mary: DID YOU SUPPORT IT, THEN?

>> NOT -- I DID, I GOT UP ON THE HOUSE FLOOR AND I ARGUED FOR IT AND -- >> Mary: THAT SOUND LIKE BIPARTISANSHIP, WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE.

>> YES.

YES.

IT IS POSSIBLE.

>> Mary: OKAY.

>> IT'S ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE.

THE PROBLEM IS IS THAT THE ELECTORAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE STAKES OF EVERYTHING ARE RATCHETED UP SO HIGH THAT EVEN WHEN PEOPLE SEE WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE A GOOD IDEA, IF IT COMES FROM THE WRONG PERSON WHO'S WEARING THE WRONG UNIFORM, THEY'RE GOING TO FOREGO WHAT THEY KNOW TO BE A GOOD POLICY IN FAVOR OF THE PARTISAN POLITICS AND THAT'S DEEPLY UNFORTUNATE.

PEOPLE HAVE THEIR REASONS FOR VOTING THE WAY THAT THEY DO AND YOU SIT AND YOU LISTEN TO THEIR CASE, EVEN IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH IT, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO RESPECT IT.

>> Mary: YOUR CAUCUS ELECTS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN MUCH TO LEAD IT.

TALK TO US ABOUT DIVERSITY AND RACE.

>> THAT'S BEEN N INTERESTING JOURNEY FOR ME DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION BECAUSE I GREW UP IN THE SUBURBS, I WENT TO PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOLS, THERE WERE SOME MINORITY KIDS BUT WE WERE A MINORITY, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

I DON'T HAVE THE SAME WHAT THEY WOULD CALL LIVED EXPERIENCE THAT FOLKS SAY, LIKE, IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS HAVE HAD.

AND SO FOR ME, WHEN I LOOK AT RACIAL ISSUES, IT'S MUCH MORE THROUGH THE LENS OF WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FIND TALKING TO A SUBURBAN CONSERVATIVE.

THE IDEAL IS A KIND HAVE AA COLOR-BLINDNESS.

>> Mary: MINNESOTA IS OFF THE CHARTS ON NUMBERS WHEN IT COMES TO MULTI-RACIAL OR MIXED RACIAL AND I BELIEVE THAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND.

HOW DOES THAT FORM, DO YOU THINK, YOUR POLITICS, OUR STATE MAKING US UNIQUE?

>> I THINK ITS LARGELY INOCULATES ME TO THE POLARIZING RACIAL NARRATIVES BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WHAT SIDE OF ME DO YOU WANT ME TO HATE?

RECOGNIZING IN MY OWN LIFE EXPERIENCE, AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY A COMMON EXPERIENCE AMONGST FOLKS, PARTICULARLY WHO LIVE IN MINNESOTA WHERE WE DO HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DIVERSITY, THE DAY-TO-DAY EXISTENCE OF PEOPLE LIVING AMONGST EACH OTHER IN THE STATE IS PEACEFUL AND HARMONIOUS AND ORKING TOGETHER AND WORKING ALONGSIDE