WORK YOU'RE DOING.

KEEP IT UP, THANKS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> CATHY: FLOODING IS ALSO AFFECTING COMMUNITIES IN THIS WEEK'S "ALMANAC" RACE TO WATCH IN NORTHFIELD AND NEW PRAGUE.

AS MARY LAHAMMER SHOWS US, IN THIS PURPLE DISTRICT, TWO WOMEN ARE RUNNING, AND ONE IS TRYING TO MAKE HISTORY DEFENDING HER SEAT.

>> Mary: THE POWER OF WATER IS WHAT'S ON THE MINDS OF PEOPLE IN NORTHFIELD, NOT SO MUCH POLITICS AT THIS POINT.

ON A STEAMY SUMMER DAY.

>> SO YOU'RE NOT EXPERIENCING FLOODING?

NO, BUT I HAVE A FRONT ROW SEAT TO IT ALL.

>> Mary: D.F.L.

REPRESENTATIVE KRISTI PURSELL IS DEFENDING HER HOUSE SEAT IN A DISTRICT THAT HAS A SENATOR FROM THE OPPOSITE PARTY.

>> FLOODING AT THE CON NONRIVER THIS YEAR IS THAT ISSUE TOP OF MIND FOR PEOPLE.

I DO THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS STILL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ACCESSING HEALTHCARE, WHETHER THAT'S ABORTION, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS HO FEEL LEFT BEHIND AND ESPECIALLY I WOULD SAY FARMERS.

I FARMED FOR TEN YEARS AND I THINK WE TOOK FOR GRANTED THE DEMOCRATIC FARM AND LABOR PARTY.

A WOMAN HAS NEVER WON TWO TERMS BACK TO BACK IN THIS DISTRICT.

SO I'M HOPING THAT MY COMMUNITY COMES OUT AND SUPPORTS IN THE WAY THAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO.

>> I'M RUNNING FOR THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

>> Mary: REPUBLICAN RITA HILLMANN OLSON IS FROM NEW PRAGUE, WHICH IS SPLIT IN TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS RIGHT DOWN MAIN STREET.

>> YEARS AGO I WAS A FARMER.

BY THE VESELY AREA.

>> THAT'S MY DISTRICT.

HIGHWAY 19 IS THE CUTOFF OR THE SPLIT.

>> Mary: HOW MANY MAIN STREETS DO YOU THINK IN MINNESOTA ARE SPLIT INTO TWO DISTRICTS?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

BUT LIVING IN NEW PRAGUE AS LONG AS WE HAVE, WE'RE PRETTY USED TO THE SCOTT COUNTY AND LE SUEUR COUNTY SIDE AND 19 BEING THE SPLIT.

THIS IS A VERY STRONG RURAL COMMUNITY.

IT'S A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES.

I DESCRIBE IT AS HOME.

AND THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT.

>> Mary: NZ THE LAST ELECTION, THE D.F.L.

REPRESENTATIVE WON BY NINE PERCENTAGE POINTS, BUT HER REPUBLICAN OPPONENT COULDN'T FULLY CAMPAIGN, SO THIS TIME AROUND IT'S EXPECTED TO BE MUCH CLOSER.

>> SADLY ENOUGH, THE NINE POINT SPREAD WAS PARTLY BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO WAS ENDORSED ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER SHORTLY AFTER HIS ENDORSEMENT.

SADLY, HE JUST PASSED AWAY.

SO IT WAS REALLY HARD TO JUDGE THE PULSE KNOWING THE CONDITIONS THAT HE AS UNDER.

I AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT I CAN GET THIS DISTRICT TO FLIP.

THEY'RE READY FOR NEW IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS AND PEOPLE THERE'LL COME IN AND ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THEM.

>> THE LEARNING CURVE WAS VERY STEEP THAT FIRST YEAR, BEING A FIRST TIME CANDIDATE.

I HAD NEVER RUN FOR ANY OFFICE BEFORE 2022.

I AM STILL SORT OF SURPRISED AT THE RECOGNITION THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

I AM, IT'S A SMALL TOWN SO I HAVE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS IN COMMUNITY.

BUT PEOPLE WHO I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WILL RECOGNIZE ME.

I KNOW I HAVE AN ADVANTAGE THAT THIS IS MY COMMUNITY.

I'VE LIVED HERE THREE FINGERPRINT TIMES.

THIS TIME HAS BEEN ABOUT NINE AND A HALF YEARS WHEN I MOVED HERE WITH MY FAMILY AND I JUST HAVE REALLY DEEP ROOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND I KNOW THAT'S HELPFUL.

I'M YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE.

>> HONESTLY, WOMEN'S RIGHT.

>> YEP.

>> HUGE THING.

I WOULD SAY EDUCATION RIGHTS AS WELL.

>> EDUCATION.

I WOULD SAY, IS PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO ME.

>> Mary: PURSELL WILL NEED WOMEN, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO TURN OUT IN HER COMMUNITY WITH TWO LIB RAT ARTS COLLEGES THAT CAN PROVIDE THOUSANDS OF VOTES.

>> THERE'S DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT VIBE ON THE CAMPUSES AND WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT.

ST. OLAF COLLEGE ACTUALLY GOT AN AWARD IN 2020 FOR THE HIGHEST VOTER TURNOUT OF ELIGIBLE STUDENTS ON A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE CAMPUS IN THE NATION.

FOR A TOWN OF 20,000, IT'S QUITE POLITICALLY ENGAGED.

I MEAN, THIS IS WHERE PAUL WELLSTONE WAS A ROFESSOR AT CARLETON COLLEGE, BELOVED.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH E?

>> WELL, THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT IS UPSIDE DOWN.

IT NEEDS TO BE STRAIGHTENED OUT.

>> TAXES, REALLY.

>> TRYING TO HANG IN THERE.

I DON'T WANT TO SELL.

>> Mary: OLSON IS COUNTING ON THE CONSERVATIVE RED PARTS OF THIS PURPLE DISTRICT TO SHOW UP IN A PRESIDENTIAL YEAR.

>> THE COURT CASES, THE MOST RECENT VERDICT AND ALSO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CASE IN NEW YORK.

WHAT WE'RE HEARING AND SEEING IS IT'S MADE PEOPLE ANGRY AND THEY'RE GOING TO COME OUT HEAVIER FOR TRUMP.

> >> Mary: AND THAT HELPS YOU?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

RURAL IS IMPORTANT.

I GREW UP ON A FAMILY FARM.

MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE A SMALL FARM OUTSIDE OF NEW PRAGUE.

I'VE GOTH ANIMALS.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MY OWN EXPERIENCE, I WAS A TEACHER AT CAREER COLLEGES FOR OVER 25 YEARS.

>> Mary: ULTIMATELY THE DISTRICT IS ONE OF A HANDFUL THAT COULD DECIDE CONTROL AT THE CAPITOL.

>> THIS IS MY FARMER FRIEND -- >> THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGE AND A BEAUTIFUL THING TO TRY TO REPRESENT SUCH A PURPLE DISTRICT.

AND I THINK WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF PURPLE, WE THINK OF, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AND REALLY I HAVE A BLUE DOT, NORTHFIELD AND DUNDAS AND THE REST OF THE DISTRICT IS RED.

I JUST LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE FOLKS AT THE TOP OF TICKETED AND MAYBE I SOUND A LITTLE DIFFERENT TOO.

>> YOU ALL LOOK LIKE YOU'RE WORKING TODAY.

> >> Mary: IT SEEMS LIKE KIND OF A POLITICAL PATCH WORK.

>> I THINK YOU DESCRIBED IT VERY WELL.

WHEN YOU GET OUTSIDE OF THE NORTHFIELD AREA, IT IS PREDOMINANTLY REPUBLICAN.

RICE COUNTY IS A PIVOT COUNTY AND WE'RE ON THE NORTH HALF OF RICE COUNTY.

>> Mary: IF YOUR PART WANTS TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE SCOPE OF STATE GOVERNMENT, IT'S GOT TO HAPPEN HERE, RIGHT?

>> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING