MINNEAPOLIS AND MANKATO AND GROWING.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Eric: THANKS FOR COMING.

I GOT TO READS SOMETHING HERE.

>> ERIC: CONTROL OF THE MINNESOTA HOUSE IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT VOTERS WILL DECIDE DURING THIS YEAR'S ELECTION.

MARY LAHAMMER HAS BEEN TRAVELING THE STATE BRINGING US A LOOK INSIDE RACES TO WATCH.

THIS WEEK IT'S A TRUE BATTLEGROUND NORTH OF THE METRO WITH MANY INDEPENDENT VOTERS UP FOR GRABS.

>> MY NAME IS ELIOT LANGUAGEN, YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE.

>> HE WORE THROUGH FOUR PAIR OF BOOTS DOOR-KNOCKING WHEN HE FLIPPED THE HOUSE SEAT 36A N THE LAST ELECTION WITH A UNIQUE MESSAGE.

>> A CRAZY WORLD WE'RE LIVING IN, JUST WANT TO RESTORE SANITY.

I'M OUT FRONT WITH IT, NOT A HUGE TRUMP GUY.

I DON'T LIKE THINKS CHARACTER.

I THINK THAT BEING YOUNG IS A SUPER POWER IN POLITICS AND PEOPLE WANT TO SAY CHANGE AND DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT. '

THE SAME AS WE'VE BEEN USED TO.

>> Mary: YOU MADE HISTORY, THE FIRST REPUBLICAN GENERAL DIDDER.

>> I THINK I JUST GOT A FLYER FROM YOU TODAY.

>> COOL.

WE DID NOT TEE THIS UP, PEOPLE.

>> Mary: THE FL CHALLENGER IS RUNNING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SHE'S EAGER TO ENGAGE AND LISTEN TO VOTERS, AS WELL.

>> A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTING, YOU KNOW, OUR FAMILIES AND OUR LIVELIHOODS AND, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY, OBVIOUSLY, AND...

PRETTY SERIOUS SO WE HAVE TO SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT.

>> Mary: TELL US WHY THE HECK YOU WANT TO RUN IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE.

>> I GET THAT ON THE DOORS ALL THE TIME AND I KNOW I'VE GOT INCREDIBLE SKILLS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

WHEN PEOPLE OPEN UP THE DOOR AND THERE ARE SO MANY MOMS AND DADS AND I BREAK THE ICE WITH MY NAME IS JANNELL CALHOUN, I AM RUNNING FOR THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, I WANT TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

>> Mary: HERE'S WHAT'S FASCINATING ABOUT THIS GENUINE SWING DISTRICT.

CANDIDATES AND CONSTITUENTS ARE INCREDIBLY OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS THAT MIGHT SEEM UNCOMFORTABLE AT FIRST.

>> WELL, I'M A DEMOCRAT SO I WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE AT ON THIS.

>> I'M ON THE REPUBLICAN TICKET BUILT I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, MAN.

STILL WANT TO WORK FOR YOU REGARDLESS OF THE PARTY.

THIS IS A BATTLE GROUND FOR SURE BUT THAT ALSO PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE GET TO TALK TO FOLKS OF EVERY SINGLE WALK OF LIFE IN THIS DISTRICT.

WE HAVE NORTH OAKS, VERY WELL INFORMATION, LOTS OF DOCTORS, LAWYERS, YOU GO TO LINO LAKES AND HAVE A TRAILER PARK WHERE IT'S POTENTIALLY A UNION PLUMBER.

WE GET TO TALK TO EVERYBODY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE FEELING ABOUT POLITICS.

>> Mary: THE CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT 36A.

>> IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CARRY THE CONSTITUTION AND THAT'S A [INDISCERNIBLE] THOUGHT PROCESS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN POLITICS TODAY.

IT'S VERY SAD.

>> IT'S SO DIVISIVE AND PAINFUL FOR PEOPLE.

I HAVE TALKED TO A LOT OF H.R.

PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE JUST THROWING THEIR HANDS UP IN THE AIR, WANTING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO COME TOGETHER AND I'VE GOT THAT SKILL SET.

>> Mary: THIS NORTH METRO SEAT HAS SWUNG BACK AND FORTH.

IT WAS DECIDED BY 100 FOLKS THE ELECTION BEFORE LAST.

>> THERE ARE TICKETS PUT IN THIS AREA, THE PEOPLE WANT TO TALK TO THEIR REP, THEY WANT TO KNOW THEY CAN TRUST THEM AND THEY'RE NOT SOME CRAZY WHACKO THAT THEY SEE ON FOX NEWS.

>> Mary: BUILT DOES THAT HAUNT YOU A LITTLE BIT?

>> YEAH, THAT NUMBER STICKS WITH YA BUT IT ALSO DRIVES YOU TO KNOCK ON MOOR DOORS, GET TO MORE PEOPLE.

>> I DIDN'T SEE IT AS AN IMPORTANT COMPETITIVE DIRECT.

>> Mary: BUT IT IS, RIGHT?

>> IT IS, IT IS, BUT I'M A HUMAN BEING, SO IS THE OTHER PERSON.

WE'RE HERE TO SERVE, WE WANT TO SERVE WELL AND IT'S THE VISION OF THE FUTURE.

I SEE A VISION OF UNITY, I SEE A VISION OF COLLABORATION.

>> Mary: VOTERS HERE ARE ALSO CLEAR THEY WANT TO SEE MORE UNITY.

>> I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT OF EXTREMES RIGHT NOW AND I THINK SEEING PEOPLE KIND OF HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER.

>> THERE IS A LOT OF FOLKS THAT FEEL AS IF THE STATE ISN'T WORKING FOR THEM ANYMORE.

THEY SEE THAT THEIR BUDGETS ARE BEING STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT.

THEY SEE PUBLIC SAFETY WHICH IS SIMPLY NONEXISTENT EVEN IN THE TWIN CITIES, EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN THE MAJORITY, I THINK WE CAN WORK ALONGSIDE DEMOCRATS.

THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE BUT IT WON'T BE A CAREER.

>> ANY FEEDBACK ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN WITH THE HOUSE HAVING ...

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE DIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE DIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

>> Mary: THE ENTIRE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE AND STATE GOVERNMENT COULD BE DECIDED IN RACES LIKE THIS.

HOW DOES THAT FEEL?

S-I'M HERE TO SERVE, I'M HERE TO ROLL UP MY SHELVES AND SEE THE DEPTH AND BREADTH AND THE BEAUTY OF OUR DISTRICT, NOT JUST THE OUTDOOR BEAUTY BUT THE BEAUTY OF THE PEOPLE.

I WANT TO SEE OUR STATE DO WELL.

>> Mary: THE TWO CANDIDATES MIGHT HAVE SIMILAR GOALS BUT DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES.

>> JUST DROPPING BY, SEEING WHAT'S TOP OF MIND FOR YOU GUYS AMONGST ALL THE POLITICAL NONSENSE.

>> Mary: HOW LONG ABOUT HOW BEING AN ATHLETE PREPARED YOU FOR POLITICS?

>> I LEARNED A TON OF INVALUABLE PLACES.

WE NEED TO BE GOOD MEN FIRST.

>> Mary: YOU PLAYED HIGHER THAN THAT.

>> St. PAUL SECRETARY FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT.

>> Mary: TALK ABOUT THAT A A LITTLE BIT.

>> THIRD STRING CATCHER, DIDN'T GET MAYBE AT-BATS BUILT I LOVED IT.

>> I'M LEARNING AS WE GO AND I THINK IT'S ABOUT MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE.

BEING A FLIGHT ATTENDANT, EVERYBODY IS EQUAL.

WE'VE ALL GOT A SEAT ON THE PLANE, RIGHT?

HOW DO I SERVE, HOW DO I PROTECT, HOW DO I EDUCATE IF A PASSENGER IS SCARED, NERVOUS OR ANXIOUS?

HOW DO WE HOLD THEIR HAND VERBALLY.

HOW DO WE SUPPORT THEM, HOW DO WE CARE FOR