NOW THE JINGLE HOP HAS BEGUN JINGLE BELL ... >> Eric: THE LIKELY TIE IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE IS IN DOUBT AS A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE RULED A D.F.L.

CANDIDATE WHO WON BY A LARGE MARGIN DIDN'T LIVE IN HIS DISTRICT AND CANNOT TAKE OFFICE.

THE DECISION IS ALREADY BEING APPEALED TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT BUT IT COULD GIVE REPUBLICANS THE VOTES TO ELECT A SPEAKER.

AND IT ALL BRINGS EVEN MORE ATTENTION TO THE LAWMAKERS COMING TO THE CAPITOL, AND MARY LAHAMMER AGAIN IS INTRODUCING US TO A ROBUST GROUP OF FRESHMAN STARTING WITH A REPUBLICAN FROM GREATER MINNESOTA AND A DEMOCRAT FROM THE SUBURBS.

>> WE HAVE SOME VERY, VERY VERY GOOD OFFICERS OUT THERE THAT WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET OUT THERE AND KEEP DOING THE GOOD WORK THAT WE HAVE AND SUPPORT THOSE GUYS.

>> O YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH SOME HEADLINES AND BACKLASH FOR BEING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT TOO, THERE WAS TOUGH STUFF.

THE HEADLINE AS A JUDGE SAYING THAT YOU DIDN'T TELL THE TRUTH IN COURT.

>> THE TRUTH IS I NEVER LIED, I HAD LEGAL GUIDANCE THAT WHOLE.

I GOT A LETTER BACK FROM THE JUDICIARY BOARD BECAUSE I FILED A COMPLAINT ON THAT PARTICULAR JUDGE SO I GOT A RULING BACK THAT WAS IN MY FAVOR SHOWING THAT THEY FOUND MISCONDUCT IN HIS BEHAVIOR.

ON MY CAMPAIGN IT REALLY BOTHERED ME A LOT BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE JUDGING ME BY THAT.

WE AS LEGISLATORS NEED TO COME OUT ND UPPORT OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE VOCAL THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE OME VERY GOOD LEGISLATORS RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL BUT WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A WHOLE.

BECAUSE WITHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT WE DON'T HAVE STABILITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

>> AND WHAT ABOUT THE POLITICAL COMPETITIVENESS?

BECAUSE THIS WASN'T COMPLETELY AN EASY CAKE WALK FOR YOU, WAS IT?

HOW CLOSE WAS YOUR RACE?

>> IT WAS RELATIVELY CLOSE, YOU KNOW, I ONLY WON BY I THINK 850 VOTES, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A TIGHT RACE AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT JUDGE'S RULING HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT, KIND OF PUTS A BAD TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH.

>> WHAT ABOUT OUR PERCEPTION THAT RURAL AREAS ARE GETTING MORE REPUBLICAN?

DO YOU FEEL THAT AND SEE THAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

>> YES AND NO, IT'S LITTLE POCKETS.

YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE A UNIVERSITY INSIDE OUR SEAT THERE TOO AND THE LANGUAGE, CONCORDIA LANGUAGE VILLAGE, BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY IS ALSO DAILY WHICH HAPPENS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIBERAL THAN CONSERVATIVE.

IN THE CITY IT'S PRETTY DIVIDED, ONCE YOU GET TO THE RURAL, THAT'S WHERE IT BECOMES PRETTY RED.

>> WHAT ABOUT ISSUES?

WHAT CAME THROUGH THEN IN THAT KIND OF DIVIDED DISTRICT AS KEY ISSUES FROM BOTH SIDE?

>> PUBLIC SAFETY, EDUCATION, THOSE WERE HUGE.

AND OBVIOUSLY TAXES WAS NUMBER ONE FOR EVERYBODY.

EVERYBODY'S FEELING IT, EVERYBODY WAS WONDERING WHAT COULD WE DO TO BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE DOWN AND CHANGE THAT AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY MAKE SOME CHANGES IN LEGISLATION TO BE ABLE TO HELP -- >> MIDDLE GROUND IS SOMETHING THE HOUSE IS GOING TO HAVE TO FIND.

[ LAUGHTER ] BECAUSE I DOUBT WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING YOU REALLY THOUGHT I'M GOING TO BE IN A TIE.

DID YOU THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN?

>> I NEVER THOUGHT IT.

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

I CAME IN HOPING THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET THE AJORITY.

NOW IT'S GOING TO FORCE US TO ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ONE SIDE OF THE AISLE THAT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO RAM EVERYTHING THROUGH.

>> WHY DO YOU THINK EDINA AND FIRST-STRING SUBURBS LIKE THAT HAVE GOTTEN LESS COMPETITIVE AND BLUER OVER TIME?

>> FISCALLY THE SUBURBS ARE MORE CONSERVATIVE BUT I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY SEEM TO BE DRIVING A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION, I THINK A LOT OF THE SUBURBS AND THE METRO INCLUDING THE EDINA COMMUNITY ARE TAKING A STAND WITH THEIR VALUES, WE'RE GOING TO TREAT PEOPLE AND LET PEOPLE LOVE WHAT THEY WANT TO LOVE AND LIVE HOW THEY WANT TO LIVE.

AND ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY AND NOTHING IT HELD AGAINST THEM.

>> WE HAVE TO BE HONEST THAT NOT EVERYBODY ROOTS FOR EDINA.

[ LAUGHTER ] CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

KIND OF THE CITY EVERYBODY LOVES TO HATE IN MINNESOTA.

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, YES, I'VE LEARNED THAT.

AND I THINK NE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED, I'VE STAYED THERE, WE MOVED TO MINNESOTA NOT KNOWING ISSUE IN, WE CHOSE EDINA, BUT I WILL TELL YOU EDINA IS A PASSIONATE ENGAGED COMMUNITY AND WE GET A LOT OF STUFF DONE AND WE'RE ALSO PROGRESSIVE THINKING.

AND SOMETIMES WHEN THAT HAPPENS YOU LAND ON TOP.

I MEAN, WE HAVE OVER, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE T 209 OR 208 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM OUR HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT I THINK EDINA, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BECOME A LOT MORE I THINK INCLUSIVE, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOLS, I HAVE MET SOME OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE IN MY COMMUNITY.

>> THAT WERE THE THEMES OR MESSAGES THAT YOU HEARD THIS TIME?

>> THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING ELECTION CYCLE.

YOU COULD HAVE DONE A WHOLE A.P.

CLASS ON DOORKNOCKING AND THE EVOLUTION OF DOORSPOCKING FROM JUNE UNTIL NOVEMBER.

THAT SAID, SOME OF THE THEMES THAT CONTINUED TO OCCUR, PUBLIC EDUCATION, ARE WE TAKING CARE OF OUR SCHOOLS, ARE WE MAKING SURE WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE, THE OTHER THING I HEARD WAS THE NATIONAL ELECTION.

>> WHAT OPINIONS AND ATTITUDES SEEMED TO CHANGE OVER THE CYCLE?

>> THERE WAS A BIT OF APATHY.

I THINK WHEN THERE WAS THE FLIP IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WITH VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS JUMPING IN, THAT CHANGED THINGS AND I THINK THERE WAS A BOOST OF ENERGY AND ENGAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR YOUNGER VOTERS.

>> DID IT MAKE DEMOCRATS OVERCONFIDENT, THOUGH, THAT THERE WAS THIS NEW ENTHUSIASM THAT HARRIS WAS GOING TO GET THE YOUTH VOTE WHEN TRUMP DID PRETTY WELL?

>> I DON'T KNOW IF OVERCONFIDENT WAS THE RIGHT WORD BUT THE DEMOCRATS NEED TO