>> Mary: WELL, THIS IS PLACE IS GOING TO MISS YOU.

WE ALL ARE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

>> Mary: YOU BET.

ALL RIGHT.

>> MARY: THIS WEEK'S FIRST TERM LAWMAKER IS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BLAINE WHO CAUGHT THE POLITICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE BUG EARLY, AND IT STUCK.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

SO FIRST QUESTION WE ASK EVERYBODY, WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE?

>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN DOING SINCE I WAS 16 YEARS OLD, IS FINDING DIFFERENT WAYS TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY.

I GOT STARTED IN MY HOMETOWN OF BROOKLYN PARK.

I WAS THE YOUTH LIAISON TO ONE OF THE CITY COMMISSIONS, AND IN MY VERY FIRST MEETING, WE LOOKS AT A CITIZEN SURVEY AND THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN OF RESIDENTS AT THE TIME WAS CRIME, ESPECIALLY JUVENILE CRIME, SO THERE'S SOME PARALLELS TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.

AFTER A WHILE, KIND OF SHEEPISHLY WORKS UP THE COURAGE TO RAISE MY HAND AND SAID THE REASON THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GETTING INTO TROUBLE IS THERE'S NOTHING FOR THEM TO DO IN OUR COMMUNITY.

I WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO LAUNCH THE YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES COALITION.

AND IT REALLY SHOWED ME WHAT, YOU KNOW, ONE CITIZEN RAISING THEIR HAND CAN DO TO REALLY TRANSFORM A COMMUNITY.

AND THAT SET ME DOWN A TRACK OF COMMUNITY SERVICE THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE CAREER.

I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO DO WORK UP AT THE CAPITOL.

I WAS ABLE TO GET THREE BILLS PASSED, JUST AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, AND SO THAT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT, WELL, WHAT IF I DID JUMP IN THE RACE AND RUN FOR OFFICE?

>> Mary: WHILE OU'RE STILL YOUNG, YOUR BIO ALMOST HAS YOU IN TRAINING FOR THIS JOB SINCE BIRTH.

QUITE HONESTLY.

THE QUESTION I'LL ASK IS WHAT TOOK SO LONG?

>> I'M SOMEBODY WHO, I LIKE TO TRY TO FIND WHEN THE TIMING IS RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T ABOUT JUST BLIND AMBITION.

IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO I FEEL LIKE THE TALENTS THAT I HAVE, THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE, CAN BE MOST BENEFICIAL?

IT JUST FELT LIKE COMING OFF OF SOME OF THE SUCCESSES THAT I HAD AT THE CAPITOL RECENTLY AROUND SECURING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, SECURING AN INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT I HAD SOME MOMENTUM AND THIS WAS THE TIME TO REALLY STEP FORWARD FOR MY COMMUNITY.

>> Mary: THIS IS NOT AN EASY DISTRICT, THOUGH.

THIS IS COMPETITIVE AND TECHNICALLY, IT'S A FLIPPED SEAT, ISN'T IT?

>> IT IS, YES.

>> Mary: HOW DID YOU DO IT?

>> YOU KNOW, REALLY GETTING OUT THERE AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE VOTERS.

I KNOCKED DOORS LIKE CRAZY.

I KNOCKS EED ABOUT 14,500 DOORS MYSELF.

MY TEAM COLLECTIVELY, WE KNOCKED ABOUT 39,000 DOORS.

AND THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE WE HEARD, AWAY WANT PEOPLE WHO CAN GET THINGS DONE AND WHO CAN WORK WITH BOTH SIDES TO DO IT.

>> Mary: WAS DEMOCRACY AND WAS IS ABORTION KEY DO YOU THINK?

>> I DO THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT.

PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE SEEING IN TERMS OF THE EROSION OF DEMOCRATIC POSTSECONDARY.

THE ABORTION ISSUE WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP FREQUENTLY.

I THINK HAT I HEARD A LOT OF TIMES FROM VOTERS ON THAT, IT'S A DEEPLY PERSONAL MORAL ISSUE.

KIND OF THE OVERRIDING SENTIMENT I HEARD FROM VOTERS IN MY DISTRICT WAS, EVEN IF IT WEREN'T MY PERSONAL CHOICE, I DON'T SEE IT AS THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE O BE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS FOR WOMEN, FOR HER FAMILY.

>> Mary: NORTHERN SUBURBS, NORTH METRO, EXURBS, THAT WHOLE AREA HAS BEEN VERY INDEPENDENT, KIND OF A LIBERTARIAN STREAK.

DO YOU HAVE THAT STREAK IN OU TOO?

>> I DO.

I THINK THE ABORTION IS ONE ISSUE HERE WE SAW THAT POP UP.

ANOTHER ONE IS LEGALIZING ADULT USE CANNABIS.

FOLKS SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD BE A POSITION THAT I GET TO MAKE.

>> Mary: THE VARIETY YOU HAVE IN YOUR DISTRICT, YOU HAVE TRAILER PARKS AND YOU HAVE BRAND-NEW MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HOMES.

IT'S GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE DISTRICTS ECONOMICALLY.

>> AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT MY DISTRICT.

YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE DIFFERENT POCKETS IN DIVERSITY.

YOU'VE GOT THE MANUFACTURED HOUSING.

YOU'VE GOT THE MULTI-MILLIONDOLLAR HOMES ON THE GOLF COURSE.

AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

WE'VE ALSO GOT A LOT OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.

I THINK OFTEN TIMES PEOPLE MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE SUBURBS LOOK LIKE.

BUT THE FACE OF THE SUBURBS IS REALLY CHANGING.

>> Mary: SO YOU'VE BEEN AROUND THE CAPITOL.

YOU'VE WORKED ON LEGISLATION.

YOU'VE WORKED IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT NOW THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY A LAWMAKER, WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU BEING IN THE JOB?

>> THE SURPRISE SO FAR HAS BEEN THE LACK OF SURPRISES.

YOU KNOW, IT'S -- >> Mary: THAT MAKES ME -- YOU KNOW THAT?

[ Laughter ] >> IT'S BEEN FAIRLY SMOOTH.

I THINK WHAT IS EXCITING THIS YEAR IS OW QUICKLY THINGS ARE MOVING.

AND THAT, AGAIN, IS GOING BACK TO WHAT I HEARD FROM VOTERS.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCTIVITY.

THE PERCEPTION FROM A LOT OF VOTERS IN MINNESOTA IS WE SIT AROUND THE CAPITOL AND NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL THE FINAL TWO WEEKS AND THEN PEOPLE RUN AROUND LIKE THEIR HAIR'S ON FIRE.

THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, GETTING BILLS PASSED RIGHT FROM THE START, WHAT WE WERE REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT WAS DEFINING WHAT I STOOD FOR, AND HAT MY BIOGRAPHY STOOD FOR.

AND OFTENTIMES WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH VOTERS, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD SAY WELL, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN SAY THAT, THAT TALK IS NICE.

YOU KNOW, BUT WILL YOU ACTUALLY DO IT?

AND THAT'S WHERE I SAID, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT MY TRACK RECORD.

AND I'M WILLING TO STACK UP MY TRACK RECORD AGAINST ANYBODY ELSE.

TAKE A LOOK AT BOTH CANDIDATES.

LOOK AT WHAT THEY STAND FOR.

LOOK AT WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND SEE WHO ALIGNS BETTER WITH WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR VISION FOR MINNESOTA.