DIFFICULT, THE BUDGET NUMBERS.

- APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, COMMISSIONER.

>> YOU BET.

THANK YOU.

>> Mary: YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS WEEK'S FIRST-TERM LAWMAKER DIDN'T PLAN TO RUN FOR OFFICE BUT SHE'S PUTTING HER PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND TO GOOD USE, LIKE MANY FRESHMEN IN THE SENATE, SHE IS A VICE COMMITTEE CHAIR, LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

SENATOR, FIRST TELL US WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE TO BEGIN WITH?

>> THERE ARE A LOT PEOPLE WHO RUN FOR OFFICE AND THEY SORT OF PREPARE FOR THAT, THEY PLAN FOR THAT, THEY'RE ALREADY IN THOSE CIRCLES AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT THAT WAS NOT ME.

I LOOKED AROUND MY COMMUNITY AND WE SAW LEADERS THAT WERE NOT DOING THEIR JOB THAT HAD SOME PRETTY PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR THAT WERE MAKING SOME POOR CHOICES, AND, QUITE FRANKLY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WERE NOT IN TOUCH WITH THE FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY AT ALL.

>> Mary: LET ME JUMP IN, IF I COULD, BECAUSE THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT RACE.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: THIS WAS SENATOR ROGER CHAMBERLAIN, INCUMBENT, POWERFUL CHAIR, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP.

THIS WAS FORMIDABLE.

>> IT WAS, IT WAS HARD.

WE WERE THE UNDERDOGS.

WE KNEW THAT.

WE KNEW WE HAD AN UPHILL BATTLE.

BUT WE WERE ADAMANT ABOUT KNOCKING ON MORE DOORS THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

WE KEPT OUR MESSAGE VERY LOCAL AND THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY ACTUALLY CARED ABOUT INSTEAD OF DIVISIVE NATIONAL SSUES.

>> Mary: KNOW LOOKING AT YOUR WEBPAGE, WHEN I STARTED SCANNING DOWN THE ISSUES, I NOT -- HOUGHT, BOY, YOU CAN'T TELL IF YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN, JUST BASED ON ISSUES AND THE STANCES.

IS THAT ON PURPOSE, IS THAT WHERE YOU ARE, IS THAT WHAT YOU NEEDED TO WIN THE DISTRICT?

>> NO, IT WASN'T LIKE A POLITICAL MOVE.

I THINK IT'S JUST, AGAIN BE, I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF MY DISTRICT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY CARE IF A GOOD IDEA COMES FROM A REPUBLICAN OR A DEMOCRAT.

THEY JUST WANT PEOPLE WHO WILL GET THE WORK DONE.

AND I LIKE TO SAY THAT MY WORK IS HONEST, RIGHT?

I AM WHO I REPRESENT.

A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK EDUCATION, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS OMETHING NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU.

>> I'M A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER.

AND I CAN TELL YOU FIRSTHAND WHAT SOME OF THOSE STRUGGLES ARE IN OUR CLASSROOMS.

CLASS SIZES ARE TOO BIG.

WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS.

WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE RECRUITING AND RETAINING TEACHERS.

WE NEED MORE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.

WE NEED TO FULLY FUND SPECIAL EDUCATION.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CANNOT KEEP KICKING DOWN THE ROAD.

AND JUST IGNORING.

I'M HONORED TO BE CHOSEN AS VICE CHAIR OF THE EDUCATION FINANCE COMMITTEE.

I PLAN TO TAKE THAT REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE NTO THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND PARENTS AND SCHOOLS ARE STRUGGLING WITH RIGHT NOW.

>> Mary: FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THIS IS HISTORY, THE MAJORITY OF THE NEW MAJORITY ARE WOMEN.

AND A LOT OF THEM ARE SUBURBAN WOMEN, JUST LIKE YOU, AND YOUR RACE BASICALLY HELPED WIN CONTROL OF THE CHAMBER FOR DEMOCRATS.

THAT'S A LOT OF HEAVY HISTORY ON YOU.

>> YEAH, IT'S GOOD.

I MEAN, I THINK THE FIRST THING WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT MORE WOMEN BEING ELECTED AND SUBURBAN WOMEN REALLY BEING DECISIVE WITH THIS ELECTION, THE FIRST THING THEY'RE GOING TO POINT TO IS THE DOBBS DECISION.

AND THAT'S CORRECT.

RIGHT?

I'M A MOM OF FOUR DAUGHTERS.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT AS PRETTY EARTH SHATTERING IN OUR HOUSE WHEN IT CAME DOWN.

AND IT'S QUITE SIMPLY JUST AN ACT OF GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.

IT'S TAKING AWAY THE FREEDOM OF US TO DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR BODIES.

>> Mary: YOU REALLY STAKED OUT SOME TERRITORY EARLY, SAYING, SOCIAL SECURITY TAX, FULL REPEAL, I CAMPAIGNED ON IT.

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS COME TOGETHER ON THIS, RIGHT?

>> WELL, I HEARD THIS A LOT ON THE DOORS, AND IT WAS POPULAR WITH PEOPLE ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MY COMMUNITY NEEDS, ESPECIALLY SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE ON A FIXED INCOME.

WE'RE GOING TO PUSH FOR A CHANGE IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY TAX POLICY.

THAT IS FOR SURE.

THERE WILL BE SOME PROGRESS AND WE'RE GOING TO PUSH FOR THAT CHANGE.

BUT I DO WANT TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY.

WE'VE GOT O OFFER SOME RELIEF FROM RISING COSTS, DEFINITE THINKING ABOUT THE SENIOR CITIZENS IN MY COMMUNITY WHO ARE ON THOSE FIXED INCOMES AND ARE LOOKING FOR US TO MAKE SOME CHANGES THERE.

BECAUSE THAT IS A BIG DEAL TO ME.

>> ary: SO YOU RAN AS A MODERATE.

YOU'RE ALREADY STAKING OUT MODERATE TERRITORY.

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE, MAYBE BREAKING WITH YOUR CAUCUS, BEING A MODERATE IN A PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, TENDS TO PULL PEOPLE TO THE EDGES?

>> I THINK THE PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA REALLY LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THESE INTERNAL STRUGGLES.

WHEN, QUITE FRANKLY, WE HAVE A LOT OF SHARED VALUES THAT GO JUST BEYOND THE DFL CAUCUS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T DEFINE THEMSELVES AS REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, BUT VOTED FOR US BECAUSE THEY SHARE OUR VALUES.

SO WE ARE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER.

WE'RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER AND WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT DONE.

I ALSO HEARD THAT A LOT ON THE DOORS, TOO.

WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS.

MOST PEOPLE JUST WANTED LEADERS WHO WOULD GET THEIR JOB DONE.

STOP FIGHTING.

LEARN TO COMPROMISE.

EVEN IF IT'S WITH SOMEBODY ON THE OTHER SIDE.

AND JUST GET THE WORK DONE.

SO MUCH WORK WENT LEFT UNDONE IN THE LAST SESSION BECAUSE PEOPLE COULDN'T COME TOGETHER.

>> Mary: YEAH, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT HARD PART, THOUGH, WHEN RUBBER HITS THE ROAD, YOU HAVE A GREEN BUTTON, RED BUTTON, YOU LIKE SOME IDEAS, NOT SOME IDEAS, AND NO BILL IS PERFECT, AND HOW HARD THAT ULTIMATE VOTE IS GOING TO BE?

>> I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE AN EASY JOB.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN THE SENATE AND YOU HAVE A MAJORITY, AND WE DIDN'T JUST WIN WITH MINNEAPOLIS AND St. PAUL SENATE DISTRICTS, WE BRANCHED OUT, WE WON IN -- WE WON AN IRON RANGE SEAT, WE'RE IN MOORHEAD, SOME OF THE OUTLYING SUBURBS, RIGHT, O THAT'S GOING TO BRING IN LOTS OF NEW IDEAS, LOTS OF NEW PERSPECTIVES.

I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT POLICY, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THINGS, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT BILLS, I'M THINKING ABOUT FOLKS IN LINO LAKES, WHITE BEAR LAKE, VADNAIS HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE FIRST PEOPLE T