CAMPAIGN.

GIVE ME A BREAK.

>> CATHY: IN ABOUT A HALF HOUR WE'LL HAVE OUR OWN LIVE MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL DEBATE.

BUT, FIRST, CONTROL AT THE CAPITOL IS UP FOR GRABS WITH A TIED STATE HOUSE AND ONE-VOTE MARGIN IN THE SENATE.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS A DOUBLE-DOSE OF COMPETITIVE POLITICS FOR YOU IN HER LATEST RACE TO WATCH WITH AN OPEN HOUSE AND SENATE SEAT.

>> LET'S SEE HERE, OH, ACTUALLY, I THINK WE'RE RIGHT ABOUT THERE.

>> I HAVE A GOOD FEELING.

THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE HOME.

>> Mary: THIS RACE TO WATCH IS DISTRICT 37A, INCLUDES CORCORAN, INDEPENDENCE, MAPLE PLAIN, MEDINA AND PART OF MAPLE GROVE.

AFTER THE RETIREMENT OF REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE KRISTIN ROBBINS, IT'S AN OPEN SEAT.

>> Mary: WHAT WAS THAT MOMENT LIKE HAVING THAT FAREWELL UP AT THE SPEAKER'S DESK?

>> H, IT AS JUST WONDERFUL.

LOOKING AT ALL MY COLLEAGUES.

>> HI, WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, FIRST OF ALL, I'M DARCI SMITH, I'M RUNNING TO SERVE OUR STATE IN THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

>> Mary: DARCI SMITH IS TRYING TO FLIP THE SEAT AS A LONGTIME REALTOR.

>> S A REAL ESTATE AGENT IS MY JOB IS TO ADVOCATE FOR MY CLIENT -- >> Mary: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PIVOT TO POLITICS.

>> THAT'S WHY I'M RUNNING, ULTIMATELY, I THINK THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO SEE BOTH SIDES AND FIND THE SOLVE IN BETWEEN THAT MAKES THE MOST PEOPLE HAPPY.

>> TOM McKEE, RUNNING FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE.

>> Mary: REPUBLICAN TOM McKEE IS MAYOR OF CORCORAN.

>> CORCORAN HAS HAD A LOT GOING ON, HAS HAD A LOT GOING ON WITH THE LAST TEN YEARS.

WITH ALL THE GROWTH, IT'S EXCITING STUFF SO, I'M HAPPY TO HELP OUT HOPEFULLY IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY.

>> Mary: YOU SEE OPEN SEAT, OPPORTUNITY, THOSE TWO THINGS GO TOGETHER, DON'T THEY?

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT IT'S OPEN?

>> IT'S A UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE IN THIS DISTRICT, BOTH IN THE HOUSE RACE AND IN THE SENATE RACE, WHERE IT'S NOT -- THERE'S NOT AN INCUMBENT, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE AN INCUMBENT WAS PUSHED OUT OR NOT LIKED THERE, BOTH SENATOR LIMMER AND REPRESENTATIVE ROBBINS, BOTH SUCCESSFUL ND LIKED AND SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATORS.

JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE TIMING MATCHED UP.

>> Mary: THE SENATE DISTRICT 37 IS ALSO AN OPEN SEAT WITH THE RETIREMENT OF REPUBLICAN WARREN LIMMER, WHO EXITED URGING COMMON GROUND.

>> WE CAN'T SURVIVE LONG AS A NATION THAT WAY.

WE HAVE TO COME TO COMMON GROUND.

AND WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT TWO OR MORE PARTIES ARE NOT GOING TO AGREE AT THE SAME TIME ABOUT THE SAME ISSUES ENDORSING CONVENTION -- >> Mary: CAN IT FLIP?

IS IT REAL COMPETITIVE?

>> ANY DISTRICT IN MINNESOTA CAN FLIP.

>> IT OPENS THE PLAYING FIELD COMPLETELY, RIGHT?

ESPECIALLY IN STATE POLITICS, I THINK THAT MINNESOTA STATE POLITICS HAS IN THE PAST BEEN KIND OF BORING IN A WAY.

>> Mary: THAT'S ALLOWED.

>> AND WE LIKE IT THAT WAY, RIGHT?

SO WHEN YOUR INCUMBENT'S DOING A GOOD JOB YOU JUST VOTE FOR YOUR INCUMBENT.

AND, SO, TO NOT HAVE AN INCUMBENT TO RUN AGAINST, IT REALLY DOES OPEN THE PLAYING FIELD AND GIVES US -- GIVES BOTH SIDES A GREAT CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH THE VOTERS AND LET THEM CHOOSE.

SO TO HAVE TWO OPEN SEATS THAT WE'RE RUNNING FOR AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLIP AN ENTIRE DISTRICT TO BLUE AND ALL WOMEN IS PRETTY EXCITING.

>> A TON OF EXPERIENCE FROM SENATOR LIMMER AND REPRESENTATIVE ROBBINS TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXPERIENCE TO, YOU NOW, NEW FACES ENTIRELY.

BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING.

>> Mary: HOW COMPETITIVE DOES IT FEEL, HOUGH?

>> IT'S DEFINITELY FEELING COMPETITIVE, ESPECIALLY LATELY.

UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE HAVE THE INCUMBENTS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL, HAVE BEEN GREAT ENTORS, CAN LEARN A LOT FROM.

BUT I DON'T, MY OPPONENT DOESN'T, NO ONE REALLY HAS THE NAME RECOGNITION IN THESE RACES.

>> Mary: IN HE LAST ELECTION CYCLE, THE INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE WON BIG, BY 14 PERCENTAGE POINTS.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE PRESIDENT BARELY WON BY LESS THAN HALF A PERCENTAGE POINT.

SO NOW THAT IT'S AN OPEN SEAT, THAT STAT ALONE SAYS THIS SHOULD BE COMPETITIVE.

>> WAS 121 VOTES THAT SEPARATED TRUMP AND AMALA.

>> Mary: SO THIS IS COMPETITIVE.

>> THIS IS A COMPETITIVE TRULY 50-50 DISTRICT.

IT IS AS PURPLE AS PURPLE GETS.

WE HAVE THE HIGHEST VOTER TURNOUT IN THE STATE.

AND I LIKE IT THAT WAY.

>> I'VE KIND OF RUN MY RACES FOR MAYOR, THE SAME WAY I'M DOING THIS, I HOPE THAT I'M PUTTING IN THE WORK, AND IT'S PAYING OFF LIKE IT SHOULD, LIKE I'M HEARING, THINGS ARE GOING WELL, BUT I ALSO LIKE TO RUN LIKE I'M FOUR OR FIVE POINTS BEHIND THROUGH THE FINISH LINE BECAUSE IF YOU DO THAT, YOU DID YOUR ALL.

[ KNOCKING ] >> Mary: THE DEMOCRAT IS EMPHASIZING EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND AFFORDABILITY.

>> WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU?

>> COST OF LIVING, ESPECIALLY HEALTHCARE RIGHT NOW.

>> YEAH.

>> BECAUSE THEY UST CANCELED MY POLICY.

>> I KNOW.

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE.

>> YEAH.

>> I'VE BEEN MEETING SO MANY FOLKS THAT ARE LOSING THAT.

>> SO I'M WORRIED.

>> YEAH.

CHILD CARE IS HUGE.

WE HAVE SO MANY YOUNG PROFESSIONAL FAMILIES THAT ARE JUST GETTING STARTED AND HAVE LITTLE ONES, AND I'M HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT THE COST OF DAY CARE IS GETTING CLOSE TO THAT OF A MORTGAGE.

>> GO BACK UP THIS WAY.

>> Mary: THE REPUBLICAN IS RUNNING ON AFFORDABILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

>> GOTTA STOP THE BLEEDING.

>> YES, WE DO.

REAL QUICK.

>> TOO MANY OTHER FAMILIES MOVING OUT OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

>> YUP.

>> THEY'RE LEAVING.

>> THERE ARE.

AND BUSINESSES.

YUP.

>> ARE LEAVING.

WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

>> FRAUD, AFFORDABILITY, PROPERTY TAXES.

YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY, WE'RE LOSING A GREAT ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR DISTRICT, IN OUR STATE WITH SENATOR LIMMER.

I'M HOPEFUL THAT I, ALONG WITH W INCOMING PERSON CAN REPLACE THE VOICE HE HAD INSTANTLY, AS AN INCOMING FRESHMAN, BUT I THINK A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TOGETHER CAN HELP FILL THAT VOID.

>> Mary: THE OVERALL NATIONAL TONE CAN'T BE IGNORED IN THESE ELECTIONS THIS YEAR.

>> IT HAS ABSOLUTELY SHIFTED FROM THE TIME THAT WE STARTED HITTING THE DOORS IN SPRING UNTIL NOW.

I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE OF PEOPLE THAT JUST WANT TO TURN THE TEMPERATURE DOWN.

THEY'RE REALLY UPSET ABOUT THE DEEP DIVISION THAT WE'RE SEEING, THEY'RE UPSET ABOUT SOME OF THE HATRED THAT'S FLYING FROM BOTH SIDES.

AND THEY REALLY WANT SOMEONE THAT'S JUST WILLING TO COME DOWN TO EARTH AND LEAD THEM WITH EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING AND JUST GET BACK TO BEING REASONABLE.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE GONNA GO ACROSS HERE.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK.

AND I'M FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE FACING