>> Eric: THIS WEEK GOVERNOR WALZ AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS WENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO HIGHLIGHT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

MINNESOTA IS GETTING A LOT OF NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR DEMOCRAT DEM SUCCESS HERE.

MARY LAHAMMER TAKES A LOOK AT THE D.F.L.

GAINS IN THE STATE.

>> DEMOCRATS DOMINATED IN MINNESOTA WITH A WELL FUNDED AND TIGHTLY ORGANIZED CAMPAIGN THAT LED TO COMPLETE CONTROL OF STATEWIDE OFFICES AND THE LEGISLATURE.

>> THERE'S NO RED WAVE MATERIALIZING, FOLKS.

>> TWO AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE SHOWED UP LAST NOVEMBER AND CAST VOTES.

THEY MADE A CHOICE.

>> THE SLICK CAMPAIGNING CONTINUES WITH A CINEMATIC VICTORY LAP FROM THE PARTY LED BY ITS LONGEST SERVING PARTY CHAIR IN STATE HISTORY.

>> WHEN MARK DAYTON SKED ME TO DO THIS AND I THINK I'VE SHARED THIS STORY MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS HELL, NO, I WASN'T INTERESTED IN BEING PARTY CHAIR.

I DON'T THINK ANYONE ASPIRES TO THESE JOBS, WE KNOW HOW TO RAISE MONEY AND WE USE THAT MONEY TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE.

THIS IDEA OF TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK, WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO WIN.

>> NOW NATIONAL PRESS IS TAKING NOTICE.

THE WASHINGTON POST PINION PAGE SAYS THE MINNESOTA MIRACLE SHOULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR DEMOCRATS.

HUFF POST DETAILED HOW MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS PAST A RAFT OF PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION WITH A ONE-SEAT MAJORITIES.

NEW YORK MAGAZINE EXPLORED WHY MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS ARE SO PROGRESSIVE.

>> HOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL ATTENTION COMING YOUR WAY?

>> WELL, LOOK, I'D BEEN ELECTED THREE TIMES BY MY PEERS TO LEAD OUR ASSOCIATION, ASSOCIATION OF STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEES AND WILL BE THE LONGEST SERVING PRESIDENT OF THAT ASSOCIATION, NOT THAT THAT'S A GREAT TITLE OR ACCOLADE, BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS REALLY THE MODEL AROUND THE NATION.

PEOPLE LOOK AT MINNESOTA AND HOW YOU BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE TO WIN ELECTIONS.

>> A LOT OF FOLKS SAY IT'S A THANKLESS JOB TO BE A PARTY CHAIR, YOU DON'T EED TO BE TOLD IT'S A -- BLEEP -- JOB.

I THANK KEN MARTIN EVERY SINGLE DAY.

>> ARE LOOKING TO MARTIN A LOT THESE DAYS AS THEY DID AT THE ASSOCIATION OF DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEES WITH THE STATE DNC IN TOWN.

>> POWER IS FLEETING.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL HAVE POWER AGAIN SO LET'S USE IT NOW.

GENERATIONS OF MINNESOTANS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

>> WHAT ABOUT OVERREACH?

WHAT ABOUT IF IT'S TOO MUCH AND YOU'RE TOUTING TOO MUCH AND THERE'S A BACKLASH?

>> I DON'T THINK IT'S OVERREACH.

THE PACKAGE WE PUT TOGETHER NOT ONLY HELPS IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES IN THE STATE BUT THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

>> FOR DECADES HE'S BEEN PLAYING THE LONG GAME IN SUBURBIA SEEING THIS AREA WOULD MOVE HIS DIRECTION.

>> WHERE DO YOU GO TO WIN ELECTIONS?

WHERE THE VOTES ARE, AND THE FASTEST GROWING PARTS OF THE STATE IS THE SUBURBS.

>> THE FACT THAT YOU WERE IN EAGAN, YOU WERE PARTY CHAIR AND THIS WAS REPUBLIC.

>> IT WAS, IN 2010 WHEN I CAME IN THIS AREA WAS FAIRLY RED, A LITTLE BIT MORE PURPLE ACTUALLY.

THIS SUBURBAN COMMUNITY MUCH LIKE A LOT OF SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES INCLUDING WHERE YOU LIVE IN EDINA GONE COMPLETELY BLUE NOW AND IT'S A TREND WE SAW COMING A LONG TIME AGO.

>> THE STATE D.F.L.

IS FUNDING WITH MERCH TOUTING LEGALIZED WEED, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CALLING IT THE LAND OF 10,000 RIGHTS.

>> MERCHANDISE IS NOT ANYTHING NEW, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS, I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST PAYING ATTENTION NOW.

WE WANT TO OF COURSE TOUT OUR SUCCESS AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT NOT ONLY DEMOCRATS DO WELL BUT MINNESOTANS DON'T DO WELL.

>> NOT ALL THE D.F.L.

VOTES SENATORS TOOK WOULD E EASY.

>> KEN MARTIN SAID HE'S GOT HER BACK.

MAKE THIS A STATE PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO.

I THINK IT'S SIMPLER TO JUST WIN ELECTIONS AND GET STUFF DONE AND LET THEM WORRY ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.

THANK YOU ALL.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> REPUBLICANS HAVE HAD MANY MISFIRES ON SOCIAL ISSUES, DISAGREEMENT AMONGST STATEWIDE CANDIDATES AND TURNOVER AT THEIR HEAD OFFICE.

>> I KEPT HEARING FOLKS SAY WE WANT A BORING CHAIR.

>> WELL, THEY GOT ONE WHAT, CAN I SAY?

>> SO YOU'RE GOING TO EMBRACE THE IT'S GOING TO BE SMOOTH AND BORING?

>> DURING THE ELECTION AND PEOPLE WOULD ASK ABOUT THIS AND I'D SAY, LOOK, THE PARTY CHAIR'S JOB IS NOT TO BE THE CENTER OF THE POLITICAL UNIVERSE.

THAT'S FOR OUR CANDIDATES, WE WANT TO PROMOTE OUR CANDIDATES, OUR MESSAGE.

THE JOB OF THE PARTY CHAIR IS TO BUILD AN ORGANIZATION.

>> THE REALITY IS THEY'VE SWITCHED OVER I THINK THEY'RE ON SIX CHAIRS IN MY TIME HERE OVER THE LAST 13 YEARS AND CONTINUITY MATTERS.

I'D RATHER BE BORING AND STAY IN THE BACK.

YOU KNOW, FOR ME I'VE SPENT MY WHOLE CAREER RUNNING CAMPAIGNS OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT.

>> MEANWHILE MARTIN MAINTAINED HIS STEADY CLIMB WITH DEMOCRATS.

>> THE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING TO MOVE SUBURBAN VOTERS, IT'S NOT JUST POPULATION GROWTH, IT'S ALSO THE FACT THAT THE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND IN MANY WAYS HAS MOVED AWAY FROM WHERE THOSE SUBURBAN VOTERS ARE ON CRITICAL ISSUES.

>> THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WITHIN THE PARTY WHO HAVE SHUT SOME DOORS ON ME AND NOW I'M GOING TO KICK A FEW OPEN.

>> TIM PAW PAWLENTY FROM EAGAN HERE HE FAMOUSLY CAMPAIGNED AS A SAM'S CLUB REPUBLICAN, UNDERSTOOD SUBURBAN VALUES BUT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY