>> Mary: ALL RIGHT, ERIC ESKOLA, CAPITOL REPORTING LEGEND, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Eric: THANK YOU.

>> Mary: ALL RIGHT.

THIS WEEK'S FIRST-TERM REPRESENTATIVE IS FROM RED WING, AND SHE FELT THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE TO ANSWER THE CALL TO HER POSITION.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

FIRST QUESTION, WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE?

>> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK IT'S LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I WAS VERY FRUSTRATED BEING AT HOME AND WATCHING PEOPLE I KNOW, THEIR BUSINESSES BEING SHUT DOWN AND NOT HAVING THE RIGHT TO WORK, THE SCHOOLS BEING SHUT DOWN.

AT THAT TIME I HAD A SENIOR AND SOPHOMORE, THAT WAS A REALLY HARD TIME, YOU KNOW, FOR A LOT OF PARENTS.

FOR PEOPLE NOT TO BE ABLE TO WORSHIP, YOU KNOW, I SAW SOME OF THE WORST-CASE SCENARIOS WHERE FAMILIES WERE NOT ABLE TO GO TO FUNERALS OF LOVED ONES.

IT REALLY FELT LIKE A BIG OVERREACH OF THE GOVERNMENT.

IT REALLY FELT, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR FREEDOMS WERE BEING STRIPPED AWAY AND WAS VERY WORRISOME TO ME, JUST THAT OLD SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF NOT ME, THEN WHO?

IF NOT NOW, THEN WHEN?

AND I REALLY HAD A HEART TO HEART WITH MYSELF, AND I JUST REALLY FELT CALLED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS MEANT TO DO.

>> Mary: HOW MUCH DID AN OPEN SEAT HELP?

>> OH, YEAH, THAT HELPED GREATLY.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD REPRESENTATIVE BARB HEELEY IN THE SEAT, AND AS YOU KNOW, SHE'S A REPUBLICAN, I'M A REPUBLICAN.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE POLITICAL MAKEUP, BECAUSE RED WING WAS ONCE CONSIDERED VERY COMPETITIVE, AND A LOT OF MONEY WAS PUT INTO SOME PREVIOUS RACES.

BUT IT EEMS TO HAVE SOLIDIFIED NOW, FAIRLY RED, IS THAT FAIR?

>> MY DISTRICT IS GOODHUE, WABASHA, RED WING ITSELF, IT CAN GO BOTH WAYS.

RED WING I WOULD NOT CALL RED AT ALL.

BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE EEING IS THE TREND, THE TREND IS IT IS MOVING MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE.

>> Mary: WHY DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR DISTRICT ARE TRENDING MORE REPUBLICAN?

>> PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO BE VERY CONCERNED WITH OUR TAXES, THE LIVING WAGES.

WE'RE SEEING THIS TREND WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAVING MORE DIFFICULTY, SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MONEY, THE DECISION MAKING THAT'S BEING -- HAPPENING AT A STATE AND A LOCAL LEVEL.

AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST STARTING TO BE VERY CONCERNED AND GET INVOLVED.

FOR MANY MANY YEARS, YOU KNOW, MYSELF INCLUDED, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN KIND OF GO TO SLEEP, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING POLITICALLY.

MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE SAYING FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION.

I BELIEVE THAT 10% OF THE RIGHT IS VERY EXTREME.

10% OF HE EFT IS VERY EXTREME.

AND I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY THINK 80% OF US WANT THE EXACT SAME THING.

AND IT TAKES SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE A BUSINESS BACKGROUND, I AM VERY USED TO WORKING WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL AGE GROUPS, ALL WALKS OF LIFE, JUST ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.

I'M A PERSON THAT WORKS WELL WITH PEOPLE, PULLS PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND I'M ALSO VERY SOLUTION ORIENTED.

A LOT OF OUR DIVISION IS OVER ISSUES THAT DO NOT MATTER TO THE AVERAGE PERSON.

THEY'RE DIVIDING US ON FEAR AND THEY'RE DIVIDING US ON THINGS THAT ARE THE EXTREME ISSUES.

YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT GREAT SCHOOLS FOR OUR KIDS.

WE ALL WANT PUBLIC SAFETY.

WE ALL WANT THE ABILITY TO WORK AND TO KIND OF JUST PUSH BACK ON GOVERNMENT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, LET ME LIVE MY LIFE.

I DO FALL A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVATIVE ON SOME OF THE SOCIAL ISSUES.

I WOULD SAY I AM A COMMON-SENSE REPUBLICAN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US WERE FEELING PRETTY GOOD GOING INTO THE ELECTION, AND I THINK FOR GOOD REASON.

WHEN I WAS OUT DOOR KNOCKING AND TALKING TO PEOPLE, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE I MET AT THE DOORS THAT SAID, THEY WERE MODERATES, OR THEY WERE INDEPENDENTS, AND SOME PEOPLE EVEN SAID THEY WERE DEMOCRATS, AND THEY WERE VOTING ED.

AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HEARING AT THE DOORS.

I DID BELIEVE THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE MAJORITY.

AND I THINK WHEN I WOKE UP WEDNESDAY MORNING, AND REALIZED HOW BAD IT WAS IN MINNESOTA, THAT WE LOST SOME MAJOR STATE RACES, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF FEEL GUT PUNCHED.

YOU KNOW, I GAVE MYSELF, I WOULD SAY, 24 HOURS OF FEELING A LITTLE BIT BAD FOR MYSELF.

BUT I AM AN OVERCOMER.

NOW IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE.

SO, MOVING FORWARD, WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN, AS REPUBLICANS, IS WE CAN COMMUNICATE BETTER, AND WE CAN GET OUR MESSAGE OUT.

I REALLY AM ABLE TO BRING TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS MY BACKGROUND IN SALES.

I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN MARKETING.

WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SELLING OUR MESSAGE, OF MARKETING URSELVES, OF BEING VERY CLEAR IN WHAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

THE DEMOCRATS IN MINNESOTA AND I DO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO GO VERY EXTREME, WHERE THE REPUBLICANS ARE STRUGGLING IS WE ARE BEING OUTSPENT, YOU KNOW, BY SO MUCH MONEY.

AND THAT'S VERY HARD TO OVERCOME.

>> AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE IN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM.

AND I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED TO OFFICE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY DO WORK FOR PEOPLE, FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT THE POWERHOUSE FEMALE CAUCUS, THE GENDER DIVERSITY, THE RACIAL DIVERSITY, EEMS TO HAVE CHANGED THE CULTURE THERE JUST INSTANTLY ALMOST, IS THAT FAIR?

>> I THINK SO.

WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE WOMEN LEADERS IN OUR CAUCUS.

AND IT HAS HANGED IT, EVERYTHING FROM THAT VERY FIRST DAY WE HAD SESSION, TALKING ABOUT RULES AND WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE GOING TO DO REMOTE VOTING AND WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD HAVE WATER ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE.

>> Mary: OF ALL THINGS.

>> THAT WAS OUR VERY FIRST BIPARTISAN EFFORT.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ESPECIALLY YOUNG GIRLS COMING UP TO SEE THIS ARRAY OF FOLKS IN