>> ERIC: A SPECIAL ELECTION BRINGS TWO NEW SENATORS TO THE STATE CAPITOL, AS MARY LAHAMMER REPORTS THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT PARTIES AND PARTS OF THE STATE WHERE POLITICS ARE CHANGING.

>> Mary: THEY COULDN'T BE MORE DIFFERENT.

A REPUBLICAN FROM A RURAL RED DISTRICT AND A DEMOCRAT FROM A BLUE SUBURBAN SEAT.

ONE IS NEW TO ELECTIVE OFFICE.

THE OTHER IS ALREADY SERVING IN THE HOUSE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE FROM THE HOUSE TO THE SENATE?

>> SO, I'VE NLY OBSERVED KIND OF WHAT I HAVE FROM BEING IN THE HOUSE.

I FEEL IKE THERE'S SOME ORE RULES, A LITTLE BIT MORE STRICT DECORUM.

>> Mary: WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO E HERE AND SEE THIS?

>> IT'S SURREAL.

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'VE BEEN IN THE HOUSE CHAMBERS QUITE A FEW TIMES, I'VE NEVER STEPPED FOOT IN THE SENATE CHAMBERS.

>> Mary: WHAT HAVE PEOPLE TOLD YOU, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

>> YOU HEAR A LOT OF JOKES, RIGHT, YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HEAR A LOT OF ADVICE.

>> Mary: THE SCIENTIST, GENERAL ASSIST FROM WOODBURY, APPROACHES LAW MAKING IN A METHODICAL WAY.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NIGHT GET MORE SOME NOR INFLUENCE?

>> MATHEMATICALLY, YES, BUT IT COMES DOWN TO THE RELATIONSHIPS.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE ROOM, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE HEARD OR TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

>> Mary: THE MALL BUSINESS OWNER FROM BUFFALO PROVIDES A LOT OF PASSION TO HIS POLITICS AND ACTIVISM.

>> IF YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO EVICT IN MINNESOTA, I LOST 20,000 IN ONE DEAL AND MY CABINETS.

AND THERE WAS NOTHING YOU CAN DO.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN THE WAY THAT WE MANAGE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, THERE'S TON OF LICENSING THAT GOES WITH IT.

THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT COMING IN THROUGH A SPECIAL ELECTION AND, YOU KNOW, YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE MANDATES FROM YOUR VOTERS AND SHE'LL BELIEVE SHE HAS MANDATES FROM HERS, I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW THOSE TWO CORRELATE.

>> Mary: DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENCES, THEY BOTH WON WITH THE SAME ROUGHLY 62% OF THE VOTE.

YOU WERE THE DECIDING VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS TO RETAIN THE MAJORITY.

DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

WAS THAT PRESSURE?

>> I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT MAYBE IF I WAS DONE CAMPAIGNING FOR THE DAY, IN THAT IT'S LIKE, DON'T THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH BECAUSE WE REALLY WANTED TO RUN A REALLY GOOD CAMPAIGN AND BE SOLID.

>> Mary: YOUR RACE COULD HAVE DECIDED CONTROL.

DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> WE WERE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA, RIGHT?

I'M SURE THEY WERE, TOO, HEY, THIS COULD HAPPEN, WHETHER IT'S A LONG SHOT OR NOT, IT'S A POSSIBILITY.

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK BECAUSE OF THOSE VERY VERY CLOSE MARGINS, YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE, BECAUSE A LOT OF BILLS ARE GOING TO NEED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

FOR SURE.

>> Mary: SHE REPLACED SENATOR NICOLE MITCHELL, FOLLOWING HER BURGLARY CONVICTION AT HER STEPMOTHER'S HOME.

>> IT REALLY DIDN'T COME UP THAT MUCH.

EVER SINCE EVERYTHING STARTED, WHEN PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED, IT ALWAYS CAME DOWN TO, IS SHE OKAY, WE KNOW FAMILY STUFF GETS MESSY AND ARE WE GETTING OUR WATER TOWER.

>> Mary: HAD HE REPLACED, LONE-SERVING, WELL-LIKED, BRUCE ANDERSON, WHO WAS BELOVED BY REPUBLICANS.

>> WRIGHT COUNTY WAS BLUE WHEN BRUCE WON IN 1994.

AND IT HASN'T BLUE SINCE.

>> Mary: OR CLOSE.

>> OR EVEN CLOSE.

WE'RE PROUD OF BEING THE LARGEST REPUBLICAN IN THE BPOU IN THE STATE.

WE GET THE MOST DELEGATES, WE GET THE MOST ALLOTMENTS, WE WALK IN, WE KNOW THE VALUE, WE KNOW WHAT THE VALUES OF THE DISTRICT ARE, AND WE DEFEND THEM WELL.

>> Mary: MEANWHILE, WOODBURY HAS MOVED MORE BLUE.

>> IT'S REALLY BEEN SHIFTING, AND I THINK THAT'S JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REALLY CARE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT, AND THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR HEALTHCARE, AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF YOUNG FAMILIES MOVING IN, WITH BEING THE HEALTH HUB OF THE EAST, KIND OF EAST METRO, AS WELL AS 3M, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SCIENTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY, TOO.

SO A LOT OF DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS-FOCUSED PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SEE THAT EXPANDED IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND STATEWIDE.

>> NOTHING WAS TAKEN FOR GRANTED.

AND THERE WAS ALWAYS THE RECOGNITION THAT THIS IS REAL, DEMOCRATS HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO SPEND THEIR ENERGY ON.

SO WHY WOULDN'T THEY THROW IT ALL AT IT?

>> Mary: IT WAS KIND OF A CABIN RURAL COMMUNITY BUT NOW PEOPLE LIVE THERE AND COMMUTE FROM THERE.

>> OH, YEAH.

>> Mary: IT CHANGED, CORRECT?

>> OH, YEAH, FOR SURE.

>> Mary: TELL ME A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT.

>> IT'S THE FASTEST-GROWING DISTRICT IN THE STATE, WRIGHT COUNTY IS THE FASTEST-GROWING COUNTY.

DELANO IS EXPLODING, MONTICELLO IS HUGE, BUFFALO, WE'RE ABOUT TO BUILD 400 NEW RESIDENCES.

>> Mary: SINCE BOTH OF THE NEW TWO NEW SENATORS WERE ELECTED IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION, IF THEY SO CHOOSE, THEY'LL HAVE TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION IN LESS THAN A YEAR WHEN THE ENTIRE LEGISLATURE, ALL 201 MEMBERS, ARE UP.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE TO GO RUN AGAIN IN LESS THAN A YEAR?

>> I'M EXCITED.

I REALLY DO ENJOY HITTING DOORS.

MY TIME, I FIRMLY BELIEVE I HAVE THE BEST TEAM IN POLITICS IN MINNESOTA.

AND WE'RE ALREADY ON THE GROUND, WE'RE ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO RAMP BACK UP.

>> Mary: WHAT SURPRISED YOU AT THE DOORS THE MOST?

>> YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS PARTISAN, BUT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TIM WALZ REALLY SURPRISED ME.

>> Mary: HOW DID THAT RESONATE WITH PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY LIKE YOU SAY, MED TECH, 3M BEING RIGHT THERE, WERE THERE SOME DOORS WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT A SCIENTIST MIGHT DO?

>> THEY LOVED IT.

YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF BROUGHT US TOGETHER IN, LIKE, I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NOT BELIEVING IN CLIMATE CHANGE.

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NOT VACCINATING OUR KIDS AND MAKING SURE OUR KIDS AND OUR NEIGHBORS STAY HEALTHY.

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE RELIEVED THAT I HAVE SUCH A STRONG SCIENCE BACKGROUND.

>> Mary: AND THEY CERTAINLY HEARD DIFFERENT MESSAGES AT THE DOORS IN THEIR DISTRICTS.

>> IT WAS A LOT OF THE POLICIES, IT WAS AFFORDABILITY, IT WAS I.C.E.

COMING INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND, GRABBING OUR NEIGHBORS, IT WAS THE TOTAL ISREGARD FOR SCIENCE, SO, YOU KNOW, NOAA, EPA, CDC.

>> SO MANY PEOPLE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEY KNOW ABOUT THE FRAUD, THEY NOW ABOUT THE PAID FAMILY, THEY KNOW ABOUT THE SCHOOL ISSUES, SO YOU CAN SAY, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE FRAUD?

OH, YEAH, I DID.

WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT?

AND WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK THE SOLUTIONS ARE, WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE OUT OF GOVERNMENT.

IT WAS