THAT'S FAIR.

WE'LL CHECK ON THAT AT THE END OF SESSION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SHANNON, GREAT DATA.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT ALL.

THIS WEEK'S FIRST-TERM LAWMAKER WON AN OPEN SEAT AN FORMER REPRESENTATIVE DEAN URDAHL RETIRED.

IT WAS A RARE EXPERIENCE FOR HIM S A REPUBLICAN HOUSE FRESHMAN EARLIER THIS SESSION WITH THE D.F.L.

BOYCOTT.

>> WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE?

>> I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF WESTERN MINNESOTA AND YOU GET INTO THESE THINGS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PASSION.

I CARE ABOUT RURAL MINNESOTA.

>> DID PEOPLE COME TO YOU OR DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND?

HOW DID THAT WORK?

>> YOU KNOW, I HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE COME TO ME AND ASK ME TO DO THIS.

AND THEY'VE ASKED ME BEFORE.

IN POLITICS A LOT OF IT IS TIMING.

OF >> YEP.

>> AND THE TIMING WAS RIGHT BUT ALSO THERE WAS CLEARLY A NEED FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND TO SERVE AND GIVE BACK.

>> WHY WAS THE TIMING RIGHT?

>> REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL WAS THE CURRENT STATE REPRESENTATIVE.

HE'D BEEN THERE FOR 22 YEARS.

HE HAD DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO RETIRE.

HE CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME, HEY, I'M LOOKING TO RETIRE AND HE SAYS I WANT TO FIND SOMEBODY GOOD TO STEP BACK UP AND HE'S KNOWN ME FOR A LONG TIME AND SO I THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE WHILE AND ACTUALLY MY WIFE I TOLD HER REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL CALLED AND SHE SAYS, WELL, HOW COME YOU'RE NOT JUMPING IN RIGHT AWAY?

AND SHE SAYS YOU KNOW YOU COME HOME AT NIGHT AND COMPLAIN ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN MINNESOTA.

>> SO SHE WAS ON BOARD.

OPEN SEATS CERTAINLY HELP BUT URDAHL IS ONE OF THOSE EGENDS UP HERE ABOUT HIS SENSE OF HUMOR AND HIS BIPARTISANSHIP AND HIS LOVE OF THE PLACE.

HOW HARD IT IS IT TO REPLACE DEAN URDAHL?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY SOMEBODY THAT'S GOT THAT KIND OF HISTORY OF BEING HERE FOR 22 YEARS, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE'S HAD.

BUT YOU KNOW ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD GO AND WE SHOULD SERVE THESE POSITIONS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

>> IF YOU HAPPEN BY THE RICHFIELD WAL-MART, YOU CAN PAUSE, POINT AT ME AND SAY THERE HE IS.

THE LAST EISENHOWER REPUBLICAN.

>> I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER FORGET HIS FAREWELL SPEECH.

HE WAS NOT AFRAID OF BEING MODERATE AND THAT GOVERNMENT COULD DO GOOD THINGS, THAT'S NOT SO POPULAR RIGHT NOW.

>> SURE, RIGHT.

IT'S A VERY DIVISIVE PLACE AS YOU KNOW.

WHICH IS SAD THAT THAT HAS BECOME BUT I'M CONSERVATIVE AND MAJOR WE'RE PROBABLY IN FOR SOME INTERESTING TIMES, WHAT'S COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON AND PRESIDENT TRUMP CAMPAIGNED HE WAS GOING TO BE A DISRUPTOR AND HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE THINGS AND SO.

>> BUT FARMERS VOTED FOR HIM.

>> FARMERS VOTED FOR HIM ND YOU KNOW WHAT, FARMERS WILL STICK WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.

WHEN I WAS YOUNG A LOT OF THE FARMERS WERE DEMOCRAT, THAT ISN'T THE CASE TODAY.

AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE ELECTION RESULTS OVER THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS AND THOSE FOLKS HAVE MOVED TO THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.

AND IT'S AN ECONOMIC MESSAGE THAT I BELIEVE IS ONE OF THE REASONS THEY HAVE MADE THAT MOVE.

>> YOU TALKED ABOUT POLARIZATION AND TOUGH TIMES.

YOU HAD A VERY UNUSUAL START TO SESSION, TO HALF YOUR CHAMBER NOT BEING HERE.

HOW TOUGH WAS THAT FOR IT TO BE YOUR START?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY UNIQUE.

THERE WAS A LEARNING CURVE.

AND SO A FEW OF THESE WEEKS WERE PROBABLY VERY BENEFICIAL FOR ME AND MY OTHER REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES.

>> YEAH, HAD YOU GET UP TO SPEED.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE WERE HAVING UR SAME MEETINGS, JUST THE DEMOCRATS WEREN'T THERE.

>> IT'S A FULL CONTACT SPORT ONCE YOU'RE IN IT, ISN'T IT?

>> SOMEONE SAID DON'T GET IN POLITICS UNLESS YOU CAN HANDLE SEEING YOUR OWN BLOOD ON THE FLOOR.

WHICH IS SAD, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY.

>> BUT ALLOW YOU LEARNED IT RIGHT AWAY.

>> BUT I DID,E.

>> WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH BASED ON WHAT YOU HEARD ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, WHAT WOULD BE A SUCCESS FOR YOU THIS SESSION?

>> THERE ARE A WHOLE HOST OF ISSUES.

OBVIOUSLY MINNESOTA IS ONE OF THE HEAVILIEST TAXED STATES IN THE COUNTRY AND THERE'S A TREMENDOUS BURDEN THAT'S PAID.

HEALTH CARE IS ANOTHER ISSUE.

WE'VE GOT SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE SYSTEM AND I'M ON THE HEALTH COMMITTEE AND I'M ON COMMERCE, COUPLE COMMITTEES THAT I'M ON, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA DO AND I'M HOPEFUL WE CAN LOOK AT SOME WAYS TO LOWER COSTS.

I HOPE WE CAN FIND SOME COMMON GROUND ON SOME KEY ISSUES, YOU KNOW, CHILDCARE IS AN ISSUE THAT'S PLAYING EVERYBODY AROUND THIS STATE.

>> ESPECIALLY RURAL MINNESOTA.

>> ESPECIALLY RURAL MINNESOTA.

ANOTHER KEY ISSUE YOU ASK WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS, THE PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE LAW THAT'S IN PLACE I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A REALLY CLOSE LOOK AT THIS.

IT'S GOING TO CREATE A GENERATIONAL CHANGE IN OUR STATE.

>> SO I'M GUESSING URDAHL GAVE YOU A LITTLE LAY OF THE LAND HERE BEFORE YOU CAME UP.

>> YEAH.

>> WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU?

WHAT DIDN'T HE PREPARE YOU FOR?

>> WHEN YOU START A POSITION LIKE THIS THERE IS JUST A LOT OF STUFF, A LOT OF ISSUES THAT COME AT YOU AT ONE TIME.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR CLOSE TO 25 YEARS AND I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE A BUSINESS WHERE WE'VE HAD SEVERAL HUNDRED EMPLOYEES AND A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON BUT THIS IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT EVENT HERE AND, YOU KNOW.

>> SO A LOT OF SURPRISES, NOT JUST ONE OR TWO.

>> THERE'S NOT A LOT -- YES, THERE'S MANY SURPRISES, BUT.

>> WHAT WAS THE BEST ADVICE HE GAVE YOU?

>> HE SAID ALWAYS MAKE SURE, WHICH I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN, ALWAYS YOUR WORD IS YOUR BOND.

AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT SEVERAL TIMES AND MAKE SURE WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT YOU FOLLOW THROUGH.

THIS IS A RELATIONSHIP PLACE.

YOU BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND STARTING THAT PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO GIVING AND SERVING AND I