>> Eric: THE 2023 LEGISLATURE FEATURES THE LARGEST FRESHMAN CLASS IN 50 YEARS AND THEY'RE ALREADY PROVING TO BE A FORCE.

MARY LAHAMMER'S BEEN INTRODUCING US TO SOME OF THESE FRESH FACES EACH WEEK ON "ALMANAC: AT THE CAPITOL."

TONIGHT SHE HAS TWO INTERVIEWS WITH NEW LAWMAKERS FROM COMPETITIVE DISTRICTS OUTSIDE THE METRO.

>> HIS.

>> Mary: YOU ARE A WELL KNOWN TELEVISION METEOROLOGIST IN THE AREA.

BUT YOU COULDN'T BE POLITICAL.

I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS KNOW THAT.

BUT YOU REALLY CAN'T WHEN YOU'RE IN TELEVISION, IN JOURNALISM BE POLITICAL.

SO HOW DID FOLKS KNOW THAT THEY COULD TAP YOU AND HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

>> I WORKED A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE SCENES ON SOME HOUSE CAMPAIGNS IN THE PAST.

AND MY WIFE IS ALSO ON CITY COUNCIL IN MOORHEAD.

>> Mary: ONE THING WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF METEOROLOGIST WHO IS ARE JOURNALISTS TAKE A SIDE, ESSENTIALLY, AND THE ONE POLITICAL ISSUE WE PRETTY CONSISTENTLY SEEN, METEOROLOGIST SAY, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT.

IS THAT SOMETHING YOU TOO HAVE BEEN OUTSPOKEN ON AND CAN BE EVEN MORE SO NOW?

>> YES.

AND IT IS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD TRY, IN MY TV BROADCAST, ONCE A WEEK I DID LIKE A LITTLE CLIMATE FEATURE, AND I WOULD SHOW THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUR GROWING SEASON'S GETTING A WEEK LONGER ON EITHER SIDE.

THE SPRING AND THE FALL.

AND THAT'S A SIGN OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

THESE HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS.

THAT'S A SIGN OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

>> Mary: IS THERE REALLY SOMETHING AT A STATE LEVEL THAT LAWMAKERS CAN DO POLICYWISE ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE A LEADER IN THE COUNTRY AND MOVE TOWARDS MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY.

>> Mary: THERE HAD TO BE SOME MOMENTS WHERE YOU KNOCK ON A DOOR AND SOMEBODY AYS, MY TV METEOROLOGIST IS ON MY FRONT STEP.

>> YES.

YES.

SO IF THEY HAD NOT HEARD, I WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE, THERE WAS A LITTLE PUZZLED LOOK AND I WOULD SAY, THIS IS OUR NEW DOORSTEP FORECAST AND I'M GOING TO SHOW UP EVERY DAY ON YOUR DOORSTEP AND GIVE YOU THE WEATHER FORECAST.

>> Mary: PEOPLE KIND OF LOVE TO HATE METEOROLOGISTS.

THERE'S A SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF I GOT MY JOB WRONG THAT MUCH, I WOULD NEVER HAVE A JOB.

ISN'T THAT THE MOST CLICHÉ THING?

>> IT IS THE OST CLICHÉ THING.

AND AT ONE TIME I'D ACTUALLY PREPARED A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE THAT THAT APPLIES TO.

LIKE BASEBALL PLAYERS BEING THE TOP, LIKE YOU HIT 400, IT MEANS YOU FAILED 60% OF THE TIME.

BUT YOU'RE GOING TO THE HALL OF FAME.

>> Mary: WE'VE HAD CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR, WE'VE HAD CANDIDATES FOR CONGRESS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THAT PIVOT FROM A TV JOB INTO POLITICS.

WHY WERE YOU SUCCESSFUL?

>> WHAT I AM ON THE AIR IS THE WAY I AM IN REAL LIFE TOO.

AND I LIKE TO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M FAIRLY APPROACHABLE AND CAN TALK, I MEAN, I DON'T -- YOU KNOW, I'M ON TV, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE GET ALL STAR STRUCK AND I'M LIKE -- BUT I'M LIKE, I'M JUST A GUY WHO GOES TO THE GROCERY STORE JUST LIKE YOU DO.

I HAD A BOSS TELL ME, YOU'RE LIKE AN OLD PAPER OF -- PAIR OF SLIPPERS, I PUT THEM ON, YOU'RE COMFORTABLE TO WATCH.

>> Mary: DID YOU GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE DIVERSE POPULATIONS YOU'LL BE REPRESENTING?

>> I DID.

THE OOR KNOCKING OPENED UP MY EYES A LOT, BUT I KNEW IT WAS THERE JUST FROM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE NEW BUSINESSES THAT WERE JOINING WERE DIVERSIFIED.

I ALSO SAW IT WITH UNITED WAY.

ALL THE BOARDS I SERVE ON, I SAW IT HAPPENING AND COMING.

AND THE BIGGEST THING WHICH REALLY WAS AN INCENTIVE TO ME IS THAT THE SOMALI GROUP CAME TO ME AND ASKED IF I WAS THEIR CANDIDATE.

SOME OF THE LEADERS PULLED ME IN TO MEETINGS, WE TALKED A LOT, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY WITH ABOUT A WEEK LEFT, THERE WAS A GROUP OF SOMALI LEADERS THAT SAID, WE WANT YOUR BROCHURE, WE WILL DOOR KNOCK FOR YOU IN THESE APARTMENT THAT IS ARE PROBABLY DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO GET INTO.

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, I TRANSLATED ALL MY LITERATURE INTO SOMALI AS WELL.

SO I HAD THAT GOING ON WITH THE IDEA OF THESE ARE NEW WORK FORCE PEOPLE.

THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO SCHOOL.

THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WANT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS.

>> Mary: IT LOOKS LIKE OU REALLY REACHED OUT ND MADE AN EFFORT AND DIDN'T SAY, I CAN'T, I CAN'T ATTRACT VOTERS HERE.

>> NO.

I WENT WITH THE INTENTION OF ATTRACTING THEM AND GETTING THEM TO KNOW ME.

I STAND FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND EQUITY FOR EVERYONE.

>> Mary: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE MINORITY?

>> I JUST AM GOING IN WITHOUT THAT IDEA NAH AIM A MINORITY -- THAT IDEA THAT I'M A MINORITY.

YOU THINK ABOUT THAT YOUR WHOLE LIFE, YOU CAN BE A MINORITY IN A THE WILL OF THINGS.

YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP ON GOING.

IT'S WHO YOU ARE, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT YOU DO.

I BELIEVE THAT'S THE TRUE SKILL OF A LEADER.

IS BEING EMPATHETIC, CURIOUS, ATTENTIVE AND NOT CLOSING YOUR EYES TO OTHER THINGS AND HAVING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.

I KNOW SOME PEOPLE THINK I'M UNREALISTIC AT TIMES BECAUSE I AM THE GLASS IS 3/4 FULL.

BUT I'VE BEEN THAT WAY MY WHOLE LIFE AND I DON'T WANT MY CHARACTER TO CHANGE.

YOU KNOW, OUR NEW LEADER, LISA DEMUTH IS GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD WITH COLLABORATION.

>> Mary: YOU KNOW HER, YOU KNOW HER BEFORE SHE BECAME FAMOUS, RIGHT?

>> I DO.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE FIRST WAS ELECTED, I TOLD HER, DON'T PLAY FAVORITISM WITH ME BECAUSE I'M YOUR FRIEND ALREADY.

BUT I'LL TAKE ALL I CAN GET.

SHE'S A NEIGHBORING DISTRICT.

AND WE HAVE MET LONG TIME AGO.

SHE WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AT THE TIME.

BUT WE ARE BOTH CANCER SURVIVORS.

SHE'S AN INFECTIOUS LEADER.

SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO SAY A WORD BUT BY HER ACTIONS, YOU