YOUR TIME.

APPRECIATE IT.

WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THE BUDGET FOR YOU.

>> THANK YOU, MARY.

>> Mary: ALL RIGHT.

WELL, IF YOU'VE EVER STOPPED AT A JIMMY'S PIZZA, YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS WEEK'S FRESHMAN LAWMAKER.

HE'S THE SON OF THE CHAIN'S FOUNDER AND TOOK INTEREST IN POLITICAL COMMENTARY AT AN EARLY AGE FOLLOWING ALONG ON DELIVERIES.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN?

>> I'VE UST KIND OF ALWAYS BEEN SOMEBODY THAT HAD AN INTEREST IN POLITICS, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG KID, MY PARENTS WOULD GO AROUND, WE ERE IN THE PIZZA BUSINESS, I WOULD RIDE IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THE -- ON THE BENCH SEAT OF THE PICKUP TRUCK.

>> Mary: YOU CAN SAY THE PIZZA BUSINESS NAME BY THE WAY?

>> JIMMY'S PIZZA, WELL, MY DAD IS THE JIMMY OF JIMMY'S PIZZA.

>> Mary: YOU ALSO GO BY JIMMY, DON'T YOU?

>> YEAH, I DO.

CALL ME JIMMY, WHATEVER YOU WANT.

>> Mary: IS THAT THE BEST WAY TO RUN FOR OFFICE, HAVE A BUSINESS NAMED AFTER YOU?

>> MAKE -- MAYBE, DOESN'T HURT.

FREE ADVERTISING.

>> Mary: THAT KIND OF WHETS YOUR APPETITE.

>> DRIVING AROUND LISTENING TO RUSH LIMBAUGH.

FOR ME, IF YOU EVER LISTENED TO RUSH, I'M A RUSH BABY.

YOU KNOW, AS I KIND OF GOT INTO POLITICS A LITTLE BIT, SERVING ON THE CITY COUNCIL, SERVING AS MAYOR, I HAD SOME LOCAL FOLKS FROM THE PARTY CAME, HEY, WE'D REALLY LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER RUNNING, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A CHANGE, SO I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT FOR SIX MONTHS, PRAYED ABOUT IT, SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT IT, WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS DOING IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.

>> Mary: THEY LOVE MAYORS, DO YOU KNOW WHY?

>> IT'S HARD TO BEAT THE EXPERIENCE YOU GET WHEN YOU'RE A MAYOR.

YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE, SEE THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS, WEIGH THAT OUT.

A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS THEATRICAL FOR A LOT OF IT.

YOU'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE.

>> Mary: THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SURPRISE FOR YOU.

THE SPEECHES ON THE FLOORS AREN'T NECESSARILY TO CHANGE MINDS.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SO A LOT OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES.

SO IT'S NOT AS MUCH FUN IN THAT SENSE.

>> Mary: HOW STRANGE WAS YOUR START TO SESSION, BEING IN IN, NOT BEING IN, HALF THE CHAMBER BEING EMPTY.

DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU IDN'T GET THE REGULAR FRESHMAN EXPERIENCE?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW ANY DIFFERENT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD COME TO YOU, I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO START IN SUCH CRAZY TIME.

WELL, I DON'T REALIZE IT'S CRAZY, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN NORMAL YET.

SO I THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF A BLESSING IN DISGUISE.

IT GAVE YOU TIME TO REALLY FOCUS ON OTHER AREAS BESIDES GOING TO THE FLOOR.

I MOON, WORK ON BILLS.

>> Mary: TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY.

>> SURE.

>> Mary: YEAH, WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU, WHAT DID YOU HEAR?

>> BLUE-COLLAR TOWN.

WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY TOWN.

BUT DISTRICT.

JUST GOOD PEOPLE.

I MEAN, THEY ENJOY EACH OTHER AND ENJOY THE AREA.

I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT 'EM.

>> Mary: IT'S A VERY SAFE REPUBLICAN SEAT.

>> IT IS, YEAH.

>> Mary: RIGHT?

WHAT PERCENTAGE DID YOU WIN BY?

>> WE GOT 68% OF THE VOTE.

>> Mary: PRETTY COMFORTABLE.

>> YEAH.

WE DID CHALLENGE AN INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN WHO HAD BEEN THERE FOR 12 YEARS, SO THAT WAS FAIRLY UNIQUE.

I THINK I'M THE ONLY PERSON THAT UNSEATED AN INCUMBENT.

I DON'T KNOW ON THE DEMOCRAT SIDE IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT.

BUT ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE IT WAS JUST THAT ONE RACE.

I HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO BECAUSE IT'S A BIG DEAL TO TAKE ON SOMEBODY WITH YOUR OWN PARTY.

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK YOU'RE MORE AT WHERE THE BASE IS AT, WHERE REPUBLICAN ACTIVISTS ARE TODAY, AND THAT HELPED YOU ON THAT?

>> I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE.

YEAH.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE'S -- THERE WAS DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY THAT WE SAW THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT.

AND I JUST SEE, YOU KNOW, I WANT LESS GOVERNMENT AND MORE FREEDOM, AND I THINK THERE'S THINGS THAT HE WAS, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE WILLING TO KIND OF SEE THE GOVERNMENT SORT OF INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND HAVE ITS FINGERS IN DIFFERENT THINGS.

>> Mary: WHEN YOU'RE DOOR KNOCKING, DID YOU HEAR FROM THAT BASE YOU TALKED ABOUT, PEOPLE WANTED YOU TO BE FIERY AND FIGHT, WHAT DID YOU HEAR AT THE DOOR THAT INSTILLED THAT IN YOU?

>> JUST, LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, LESS GOVERNMENT, MORE FREEDOM MESSAGE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE, WE WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO STAY OUT OF OUR LIVES AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

WE WANT TO CUT RED TAPE AND OVERREGULATION.

WE WANT LOCAL PROGRESSIVE IDEOLOGIES OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS.

AND WE WANT, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE TERM LIMITS.

>> Mary: DID YOU EVER THINK YOU COULD POSSIBLY BE SERVING IN A LEGISLATURE WHERE A SENATE AND THE HOUSE COULD BE TIED IN THE SAME SESSION, T HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN STATE HISTORY BEFORE.

>> I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE SERVING IN THE LEGISLATURE.

>> Mary: OKAY.

>> I MEAN BE, THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT I'D ALWAYS PLANNED ON.

I THOUGHT, OH, BOY, THAT WOULD BE NEAT, BUT TO ACTUALLY SEE IT COME TO FRUITION IS PRETTY SURREAL.

>> Mary: WHAT SURPRISES YOU, YOU'VE BEEN AROUND POLITICS, LOCAL POLITICS, WHAT ABOUT THE PLACE, PROCESS SO FAR SURPRISED YOU?

>> I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION, MARY.

A LOT OF IT SURPRISES ME.

I LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY.

I MEAN, YOU SIT DOWN, YOU TALK WITH PEOPLE, DIFFERENT INDUSTRY EXPERTS, AND DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, I MEAN, I'M ON HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION POLICY, ELECTIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, AND, I MEAN, SPECIFICALLY HUMAN SERVICES IS A MASSIVE DEPARTMENT AND A MASSIVE BUDGET AND A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.

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

>> I'VE BEEN ASKING MYSELF THAT QUESTION.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

BECAUSE YOU LOOK, YOU SAY, WELL, IS IT HOW MANY BILLS I DRAFT?

IS IT HOW MANY BILLS I ACTUALLY GET THROUGH, WHICH IS VERY FEW BILLS ACTUALLY GET PASSED AND GET SIGNED INTO LAW.

IS IT, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, JUST BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OTHER SIDE, PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE?

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I'M STILL WORKING TO TRY TO FIND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS -- HOW DO YOU