>> ERIC: EARLIER THIS WEEK, NADIA MOHAMED BECAME THE FIRST SOMALI AMERICAN TO WIN A MAYOR'S RACE IN THE U.S. MOHAMED WILL BE MOVING FROM THE ST. LOUIS PARK CITY COUNCIL TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN THE CITY SHE HAS CALLED HOME SINCE SHE WAS TEN YEARS OLD.

NO STRANGER TO BEING A PIONEERING POLITICIAN, SHE WAS ELECTED TO HER CURRENT CITY COUNCIL SEAT AT THE AGE OF 23.

MAYOR-ELECT, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, ERIC.

>> YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF FIRSTS IN THIS ELEEKS THIS WEEK AND HOW IS THAT GOING TO INFORM HOW YOU HANDLE YOUR DUTIES AS MAYOR?

>> YEAH, WELL, FIRST I WANT TO THANK THE VOTERS OF ST. LOUIS PARK.

AND THE RESIDENTS WHO CAME OUT AND VOTED AND SUPPORTED AND PUT ME IN THIS POSITION.

AND, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF FIRSTS BEFORE US, RIGHT?

I'M THE FIRST BLACK MUSLIM SOMALI MINERAL IN ST. LOUIS PARK HISTORY.

>> Eric: IN A TOWN THAT HAS TRADITIONALLY A LARGE JEWISH POLICY.

>> YES, AND I SEE GREW UP WITH ALL OF THEM.

I GREW UP WITH MY NEIGHBORS.

AND SO I AM EXCITED.

I AM THRILLED.

AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST A MILESTONE, RIGHT?

AND NOT OUR DESTINATION.

THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DO.

AND SO MUCH COLLABORATION, WHETHER IT'S ACROSS RACIAL SPECTRUM OR INTERFAITH WORK.

THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE.

AND SO I'M EXCITED TO DO IT.

>> Cathy: WHAT'S JOB ONE FOR YOU?

YOU RAN ON HOW FASTING, CLIMATE CHANGE.

CLIMATE MITIGATION.

WHAT'S JOB ONE FOR YOU?

>> SO I THINK, NOT, I THINK, BUT I'VE BEEN DOOR KNOCKFOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS OR SO, AND EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT I'M AT THE DOORS KEEP HEARING FROM PEOPLE THAT HOUSING HAS GOTTEN VERY EXPENSIVE.

EVEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMEOWNERS WHO WOULD SAY, LOOK, IF I PUT MY HOUSE ON THE MARKET, I KNOW THAT I COULDN'T EVEN AFFORD IT, RIGHT?

AND SO THAT'S DAY ONE FOR ME, JUST ADDRESSING HOW INAFFORDABLE ST. LOUIS PARK HAS -- IS BECOMING, RIGHT, WHETHER IT'D CREATING HOME OWNERSHIP, PATH WAYS TO HOASM OWNERSHIP.

WE'VE GOTTEN A RENTAL OPTIONS IN HERE TO ALLOW COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO ARE JUST COMING INTO OUR CITY TO -- THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN OUR CITY, RIGHT?

SO JUST KIND OF MULTI-TASKING AND FIGURING OUT, HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN THE CITIES THAT THEY GREW UP IN AND THE CITY THAT THEY LOVE.

>> Eric: I'M CURIOUS HOW THE MAYOR'S ROLE FITS IN, IN THE ST. LOUIS PARK GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE.

THERE'S A CITY MANAGER.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: AND THE COUNCIL.

AND THEN WHERE DOES THE MAY YOUR FIT IN TO ALL THAT?

>> SO THE MAYOR FACILITATE THE MEETINGS.

HE SUPPORTS THE COUNCIL.

AND HE COUNCIL SUPPORTS HIM OR HER.

AND HE REPRESENTS THE CITY OR SHE IN THIS CASE, REPRESENTS THE CITY, YES, YEP.

REPRESENTS THE CITY IN MATTERS THAT ARE OFFICIAL.

AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, YEAH.

>> Eric: DO YOU GET AN AGENDA SETTING OPPORTUNITY?

>> WE DO SET IT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNCIL AND STAFF.

WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCED STAFF AND WE HAVE SUCH GREAT AMAZING COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND SO WE DO IT ALWAYS IN COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT OF EACH OTHER.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, GETTING BACK TO THE HISTORY-MAKING PART OF YOUR JOURNEY HERE, DO YOU FEEL PRESSURE BECAUSE YOU ARE A PERSON WHO IS BLAZING A TRAIL?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF, LIKE, EYES ON ME, RIGHT?

BUT I KNOW THAT WITH THE SUPPORT, AGAIN, WITH -- OF THE COUNCIL AND STAFF AND MY COMMUNITY, RIGHT, THE ST. LOUIS PARK COMMUNITY, I KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE -- THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, RIGHT?

IT MIGHT BE A BIT HARD.

BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET DONE HERE IN ST. LOUIS ARK.

>> Cathy: WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS SAY?

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE YOUR FAMILY.

ARE THEY STILL CELEBRATING?

>> THEY REALLY ARE.

BOTH MY PARENTS WERE REALLY THRILLED.

THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN PUBLIC SERVANTS, EVEN BACK AT HOME.

AND THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT I'M ABLE TO CARRY THIS ON.

MY MOM DEFINITELY THOUGHT I WOULD BE A DOCTOR, BUT SHE'S SETTLED.

>> Eric: I WAS GOING TO ASK, WHERE DID THIS DESIRE TO BE IN PUBLIC SERVICE, WHERE THAT DID COME FROM.

>> I GREW UP IN A LONG LINE OF FAMILIES MEMBER WHO WERE TEACHERS AND NURSES AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

DEFINITELY NOT ELECTED OFFICIALS.

I'VE SET THE EXPECTATION THERE A LITTLE BIT.

BUT I THINK THEY'RE EXCITED AND THEY'RE -- I THINK WHAT THEY'RE MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS THE ABILITY FOR ME TO GIVE BACK TO ST. LOUIS PARK THAT HAS GIVEN US SO MUCH.

>> Cathy: OKAY, SO YOU ARE A YOUNG PERSON, DO YOU SEE YOURSELF RUNNING FOR OTHER OFFICES IN THE PICTURE?

I MEAN, IS POLITICS YOUR CALLING?

>> I THINK COMMUNITY IS MY CALLING.

IT'S -- I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN SWORN IN.

SO I WILL BE -- I'LL BE FOCUSED IN ST. LOUIS PARK FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

AND I THINK WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE OUTSIDE OF THAT IS WHEN YOU LOSE TRACK OF YOUR GOAL.

>> Eric: THAT'S AN OUTSTANDING VETERAN POLITICIAN'S ANSWER.

[ Laughter ] YOU'VE GOT IT ALREADY.

>> WELL, I JUST -- I KNOW THIS.

BUT IT IS TRUE, THOUGH.

IT IS TRUE, THOUGH.

>> Eric: PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING TO SEE HOW YOU D