OVERSTATE THAT.

THANK FOR YOUR TIME.

APPRECIATED MY DAY WITH YOU.

>> MARY: THIS WEEK'S FINAL FIRST-TERM LAWMAKER IS A SENATOR FROM PLYMOUTH WHO WAS FIRST DRAWN TO POLITICS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE?

>> THAT IS SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.

SO, ACTUALLY, WHEN I WAS 17, SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, OUR SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS ENCOURAGED ALL OF US TO GO TO OUR PRECINCT CAUCUSES AND SAID WE WOULD GET EXTRA CREDIT IF WE DID.

AND I DID GO TO MY PRECINCT CAUCUS.

IT WAS IN 1980 AND THE ROOM WAS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT ON A CAUCUS NIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEIR COMMUNITY.

AND SO I WAS BIT BY THE POLITICAL BUG PRETTY EARLY ON.

>> Mary: WELL THEN I SHOULD JUMP IN AND SAY WHAT TOOK SO LONG?

>> INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, I LIVED IN SENATOR ANN REST'S DISTRICT AND REPRESENTATIVE CARLSON'S DISTRICT AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LIVE IN A SOLIDLY BLUE DISTRICT, THE OPPORTUNITIES AREN'T THERE.

AND SO IN 2016, I RAN FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I RAN THREE TIMES, SO THIRD TIMING'S THE CHARM.

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: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT.

ON PAPER, SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE COMPETITIVE.

>> THAT AREA HAS PROBABLY BEEN CHANGING AND I KNOW SENATOR ANN JOHNSON STEWART HELD THE SEAT PRIOR TO ME.

SHE WORKED REALLY HARD TO FLIP THAT SEAT BUT THEN I THINK REDISTRICTING, PLYMOUTH PROBABLY HAS SHIFTED MORE I WOULD SAY BLUE, I THINK I GOT JUST UNDER 578% OF THE VOTE.

I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT TREND PROBABLY IN A LOT OF SUBURBS, WHERE THE BLUE IS KIND OF KEEPS PUSHING OUTWARDS IN DISTRICTS THAT WERE PRETTY RELIABLY RED IN THE PAST ARE GOING THROUGH THAT PURPLE TO BLUE CHANGE.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT ISSUES, WHAT DID YOU HEAR, WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT THE MOST AND WHAT DID YOU HEAR THE MOST?

>> UNQUESTIONABLY, THE TOP ISSUE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, MAKING SURE THAT WE MAINTAINED REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS HERE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, WHICH WE'VE DONE, AT LEAST IN PART.

THE OTHER THING THAT I HEARD A GREAT DEAL ABOUT WERE CONCERNS ABOUT MAKING SURE OUR SCHOOLS GET FUNDING, A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN OUR SCHOOLS N PARTICULAR.

I'VE HEARD A LOT BOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION AND I'M THE CHIEF AUTHOR FOR THE BILLING THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE CROSS-SUBSIDY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.

>> Mary: WHICH IS BIG.

LETS ME JUMP N ONE OF THE EARLY BIG PRESS CONFERENCES ON EDUCATION, TOP ISSUE, MORE THAN ONE FRESHMEN IS CARRYING A BILL AND BEING PROMINENT.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

>> I WILL SAY THIS, MARY, WE HAVE 14 FRESHMEN OUT OF 34 IN OUR CAUCUS, I AM SO BLESSED TO BE AMONG THIS FRESHMEN CLASS OF REALLY INCREDIBLE HUMAN BEINGS.

THEY'RE SMART, THEY'RE MOTIVATED, THEY'RE PASSIONATE.

EVERYBODY HAS STEPPED UP AND KIND OF FOUND THEIR NICHE SO WE'VE-OH- >> Mary: BUT CHIEF AUTHOR, THAT'S MORE THAN -- CHIEF AUTHOR NEVER WENT TO [INDISCERNIBLE] BEFORE.

>> ELL, WE ARE IN A ANY DAY AND AGE, I THINK.

EVERY FRESHMAN, SENATOR IN OUR CAUCUS HAS A VICE CHAIR POSITION AND I THINK IT'S UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'VE GOT A HUGE CROP OF PEOPLE COMING THAT WE NEED TO DO SOME LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND MENTORING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE READY TO CARRY ON THOSE MANTLES WHEN THE TIME COMES.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT THE POWERHOUSE FEMALE CAUCUS.

YOU KNOW, THE SENATE IN PARTICULAR WAS VERY MALE, VERY WHITE AND THE DIVERSITY, THE GENDER DIVERSITY, THE RACIAL DIVERSITY, SEEMS TO HAVE CHANGED THE CULTURE THERE JUST INSTANTLY ALMOST, IS THAT FAIR?

>> I THINK SO.

I THINK THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN WHO KIND OF GOT EITHER REDISTRICTED OUT OR PUSHED OUT, YOU NOW, THEY ONLY HAVE THREE OUT OF 33 ON THEIR SIDE.

WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE WOMEN LEADERS IN OUR CAUCUS AND IT HAS CHANGED 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 LEADERSHIP POSITIONS THAT LOOK LIKE THEM.

>> Mary: YOU HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF SESSION UNDER YOUR BELT NOW.

WHAT SURPRISED YOU SO AR?

>> I THINK WHAT SURPRISED ME AND MAY SURPRISE OTHERS WHEN YOU COME OFF A CAMPAIGN, YOU HAVE AN OPPONENT AND THERE'S SOME ADVERSARIAL NATURE, SOMETIMES TO CAMPAIGNS.

WHAT I HAVE FOUND HERE IS THAT OFTENTIMES, WE DISAGREE VERY, VERY VEHEMENTLY IN COMMITTEE OR ON THE FLOOR BUT I THINK HAVE AT LEAST A REASONABLY COLLEGIAL RELATIONSHIP OFF THE FLOOR.

AT LEAST FOR MOST.

>> Mary: AND DO YOU THINK WITH THAT VERY CLOSE MARGIN IN THE SENATE, THAT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO NEED REPUBLICANS NOT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE ON BOARD ON EVERY ISSUE.

YOU'VE BEEN LUCKY TO KEEP THE CAUCUS TOGETHER BUT THAT'S -- CAN BE HARD ON SOME ISSUES.

>> I THINK OUR CAUCUS HAS BEEN VERY DISCIPLINED AND THERE ARE OCCASIONS ON THE FLOOR THAT WE HAVE HAD A REPUBLICAN OR TWO VOTE WITH US ON BILLS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE ENCOURAGING OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDES OF THE AISLE TO WORK WITH US.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND IN LAW?

HOW ARE YOU FEELING THAT COMING THROUGH AND ASSIST YOU AS YOU'RE WRITING LAWS?

>> I'M A FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY, I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME AS AN ATTORNEY NEGOTIATING, TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE THROUGH A PROCESS THAT'S EALLY DIFFICULT.

A LOT OF IT IS ABOUT MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AND TRYING TO REALLY SORT OF MANAGE THE EMOTIONAL PARTS OF A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS, SO I THINK I COME TO ALL OF THIS WITH THAT SORT OF LENS OF HOW CAN WE REACH CONSENSUS IF AT ALL?

AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T.