(Calm music) - [Narrator] "Almanac" is a production of Twin Cities PBS for the stations of Minnesota Public Television Association.

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Support is also provided by Great River Energy, providing wholesale power to 27 Minnesota electric cooperatives.

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More at educationminnesota.org and PaintCare, helping Minnesotans recycle leftover paint.

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(bright music continues) - Change is coming here at the Minnesota State Capitol.

I'm Mary Lahammer coming to you from the House of Representatives where history has been made.

Our job is to restore that balance.

The first Republican woman of color, Lisa Demuth, will become House speaker.

But a special election could mean a tie, which is also now true in the Senate, with a temporary tie after the death of the first Democratic woman to lead the chamber, former Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic.

In the next hour, we'll take a look at all the election fallout.

First up, it's not the first time the House appears to be deadlocked in a tie, but last time it looked very different with all men in leadership.

We talked to some of the people who were there, including the only woman in the room where it all happened, who actually had some power at the time.

- How sweet it is.

- This is the beginning of the Republican Renaissance in this state.

- [Mary] The 1978 election was full of unanticipated upheaval, resulting in a tied Minnesota House after Democratic Governor Wendell Anderson was perceived as appointing himself to the US Senate.

- I accept their judgment.

- You were here on the ground when the Senate was tied and the House?

- I was here when the Senate was tied in '71, and I was here as Nick Coleman's Chief of Staff in 1979 when the House was tied.

The tie in 1971 was over in eight days when the Supreme Court decided that the Democrats couldn't violate the separation of powers by using the Lieutenant Governor as the deciding vote on organizing the Senate on ties.

- The clerk pro tem.

- [Mary] And in the House, the Secretary of State's job then and now was to convene session.

- It's a lovely ceremony.

- [Mary] Usually.

(chuckles) - Usually a lovely ceremony (chuckles) until 1979 and it was tied.

And as I understand it had never been tied before.

They still hadn't officially come together.

I would go over there every day, call a session to order and then in a few minutes we'd adjourn the session.

It was extremely tense, and it really was starting from scratch.

- [Mary] Republicans in '79 rode a red wave with more new members than old ones.

So a pre-agreed to power-sharing agreement did not happen ahead of time.

- Because it's so complex.

It's not only a question of who's gonna be speaker and who's gonna chair the committees, but you have House staff when there's a massive change in the membership as there was then where the Democrats went from 131 down to 67, they're gonna lose a lot of staff and that's painful.

There were more freshmen than there were experienced legislators.

So he brings in all these brand new members who didn't know where the restrooms were.

- Boy, they worked hard.

Once they picked their committees and figured it out.

What they decided was that the Republicans would get the speakership and the Democrats would get the three or four most-important committees.

Now the debate (chuckles) went on for some time as to who had the better deal, you can imagine.

- [Mary] What do you think in retrospect?

You know politics.

(chuckles) - I know politics.

I tend to think the Democrats ended up with the better deal.

- [Mary] Even though they didn't get that top- - Even though they didn't get that top spot, they were chairing the important committees and they got to decide which bills were heard through those committees, which automatically went to the floor.

- The last time the Minnesota House was in a tie, the Republican leader at the time wrote a book called "Minnesota Standoff: The Politics of Deadlock."

And had a specific quote saying "it's not a victory for the Democrat or the Republican, but, quote, 'rather a reaffirmation of the wisdom and workability of the democratic process.'"

- [John] Now is the time to sit down and try to have a civil conversation with the other side.

- [Mary] Looking through all the photos collected by longtime House staff photographer, Tom Olmscheid, it's impossible to miss the massive majority of men in the legislature.

You're the only woman in the room, practically.

- That would've been true.

You know, I was the only woman for so long it seemed, in so many circles that I just got kind of used to it.

But you have to remember I was elected in 1972, and at the time I ran, there was one woman in the legislature, one!

- [Mary] The number of women would soon increase.

In fact, the majority of the current Senate Majority are women.

- That's been a great development.

I don't know how many people know this story, but when Nancy Brataas was elected to the Senate in 1974 in a special election and there was really an argument made that it was possibly a waste of state dollars to build a restroom when there was only one woman and after all, how long was she gonna be around?

- [Mary] Early trailblazing women like Senator Brataas and Secretary of State Growe paved the way on both sides of the aisle.

- It was not unusual for me to be surrounded by all this testosterone, you know, and then the attitude then, men weren't accustomed to working with women as their equals.

- [Mary] Minnesota has yet to elect a woman as governor, much like the presidency.

- It's shocking to me that we're not ready to accept a woman as the leader of our country, but apparently that appears to be an issue.

We've come a long way in some ways and yet we got a long way to go.

- And it's so exciting, I think, because both Melissa and Lisa are good, strong women.

(lively music) - Minnesota is often thought of as a blue state.

Democrats currently control all the state-wide offices, but the reality is much like the nation, the state is divided.

Election night proved that.

(crowd cheers and applauds) - [Announcer] President Trump is getting very, very, very, very, very close.

- [Mary] Republicans could celebrate election night in Minnesota.

- Our job is to restore that balance.

- If the Republicans capture the majority, as we believe they will, they'll be in a position to bring some balance to state government, which is what people are looking for.

There's been a high degree of confidence all along in this campaign for the House.

We've just have felt that people are kinda tired of the way Democrats have governed and they're looking for a change, and a lotta independent voters are voting for Republicans.

- [Mary] But the State House appears to be in a tie and governing through that may not be easy.

- We are at a 67-67 tie in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

When we talked about balance, we wanted a little bit more than that, I will be fully honest with you.

But what we know right now is this is the opportunity for us to work together with our colleagues, the Democrats across the aisle, and find ways to best serve Minnesotans.

- [Mary] A tie is something that hasn't happened here for almost half a century.

- It's not something we really were anxious to participate in, but here we are.

We have the in institutional integrity to protect.

I feel that was damaged somewhat last year.

- [Mary] Democrats currently in control are planning a power-sharing agreement with Republicans.

- There will be an opportunity for us to show Minnesotans some good bipartisan working together and getting things done.

Minnesotans certainly sent us a tied Minnesota house.

So what they're asking us to do is to work together and be productive.

- When Donald Trump is on the ballot, we've seen the turnout in rural communities increase and we've seen challenges for our candidates in those communities.

(bright music) - All 134 seats here in the Minnesota House were on the ballot and after almost three decades of covering the capitol, I thought control could be close.

So we spent the summer and fall traveling the state for our top 10 races to watch.

One race is so close, it resulted in an automatic recount with a 14-vote margin and a court challenge.

Here's both sides of that contest in Shakopee.

Oh, my goodness!

- [Brad] What's the name?

- [Dog Owner] Gizmo.

- [Brad And Mary] Gizmo?

- These are a lot prettier than politics, right?

(Mary laughs) - [Brad] Yeah.

- [Mary] The incumbent in Shakopee District 54 A is Democrat Brad Tabke, who had just happened to find plenty of puppies and babies while campaigning in his changing district.

- Well, thank you.

Thanks for coming to Shakopee.

Shakopee is growing because it's a wonderful place to be.

It's a great place.

We've got great schools, we've got great parks, we've got great puppies running around downtown Shakopee.

So, I'm really, really proud of where we're at.

And Shakopee is also extremely diverse.

People don't talk about this very much.

- [Aaron] My name is Aaron Paul, I'm running for Minnesota House.

- [Mary] The Republican challenger is a long-time resident and experienced police officer who's new to politics.

- [Aaron] What kind of issues do you think are important?

- Transparency and honesty.

- Okay.

They said "we think you should run against Brad Tabke."

And I said "that sounds like a terrible idea."

My plan was to get more involved.

I wanted to be the guy that put in signs.

I wanted to be the guy that would door knock for somebody or make phone calls.

I had no idea I'd be the candidate.

I don't know if you guys do political signs or not.

Would I be able to put one up here for ya on the corner?

Thank you very much.

- [Mary] Public safety.

- Yeah.

- In transit, in transportation, and in our cities, which you're going to.

- It was a big terrible, terrible problem.

It was something that no one seemed to be grasping onto.

- [Mary] Tabke, as a lawmaker, held hearings about public-safety concerns.

- Transportation is extremely important to me.

This goes back to my time as Mayor and Shakopee was very isolated.

Like, we here, this bridge that we have behind us wasn't built and Shakopee was cut off from the metro for months every year because of the river flooding.

Thank you.

- We look forward to voting for ya.

- Thank you.

- Yeah, absolutely.

- Absolutely.

- That was a wonderful soundbite.

(group laughs) I appreciate all of that!

Skipping this house, it's not on our list.

We'll go to the next one.

- [Mary] Sounds like one of the issues that got you engaged and in politics was the school-resource officer controversy, which was a bipartisan solution in the end.

It worked out, but it still upset you?

- In the end, though.

We didn't need to get to the end.

And I think what happened there is they didn't listen to teachers, they didn't listen to students.

They certainly didn't listen to cops, the school resource officers.

And if I wasn't a cop, I would've probably been a teacher.

- [Mary] The removal of many school resource officers was the issue that got Paul to run.

What skillset do you think being an officer could help you through being a lawmaker?

- So I think the biggest thing is listening and I think you have to listen to both sides.

When I've been at the doors and I've heard conversations with hard Democrats, I mean, just 'cause I see particular signs in the yard doesn't mean that I skip those yards.

I go up just to have a conversation.

'Cause in the end, regardless of what political aisle side you're on, we're still both human beings.

You wanna take a look at this or are you good?

- [Onlooker] I'm good, man.

- All right, thank you, sir.

- Well, last time around this race wasn't particularly close.

The Democrat won by almost 10 percentage points.

This time there's a new Republican running and everyone involved expects it to be close.

- We ended up being the first Democrat to win in Shakopee in more than 20 years.

And so we kind of flipped that seat for the first time in a really long time.

- [Mary] The year you lost, it was super close.

- It was rough and it was really, really hard losing in 2020 because it was in the middle of COVID.

We didn't know what was happening in the world at that time.

We had a Legal Marijuana Now candidate and our same opponent in 2022 and we crushed it.

The GOP really, really wants this seat back and we won't go back and we can't go back.

- [Mary] Will it be close again?

- [Brad] I think so.

- I vowed when I got into this thing that I would run a positive campaign and that I would stay positive on everything, that I would be open and honest with anyone that wants to talk to me.

- [Mary] Do you think it's close?

Do you have a sense that it's close?

- [Aaron] I do.

- [Mary] Do you expect it to be close?

- I do, based upon my responses that I'm getting at the door, based upon, like, the constant emails I'm getting, text messages, phone calls.

Representative Mortensen was a fighter.

He believed he was fighting for the folks in the district.

He just has a different way than I have.

- Do you guys live in Shakopee or?

- Yeah, I just recently moved up here, so.

- Awesome.

We door knock and talk to folks that are way, way, way into the Republican universe because we care about what everybody has to say.

Even if we don't agree, we wanna make sure that we know where people are at and understanding how people are functioning, what they wanna see the future of Minnesota and Shakopee to look like.

I'm a Democrat in the race here, and it's a huge, huge thing that we're working on healthcare and making sure that people have access to the care that they need.

- Are you voting for me?

- Yeah, sure.

- Well I appreciate that.

What are some issues that concern you right now?

- The economy.

- The economy is a big one, huh?

Biggest things or issues we're hearing, or that I'm hearing are financial.

That the high taxes, folks are upset.

Government functions better with divided government.

And, so, when you have this trifecta, we've seen this massive tax impact on citizens and folks are really struggling with trying to pay for little things.

I mean a hundred dollars worth of groceries, you know, five or six bags at Cub are now 2 and a half bags.

People need to feel safe in their communities.

They need to be able safe, you know, feel safe in the park that we're in right now.

I hope to turn your vote if you have any questions, you wanna talk to me further about things, I'm gonna be in this neighborhood.

That was a great interaction.

I liked that.

(bright music) - Another race to watch that created a recount was in St.

Cloud with incumbent DFL-er, Dan Wolgamott, who won.

We spent some time in St.

Cloud in the adjacent House district where the incumbent Republican prevailed against a tough challenger.

- This is gonna be David and Catherine.

David is a hard Republican and Catherine is an Independent.

- What is their last name?

- [Mary] In district 14A in central Minnesota, voter data is specific and prolific in a targeted race with a Republican incumbent trying to help her party take back control at the Capitol.

- I'm representative Bernie Perryman.

- [Mary] Overlooking a lake in St. Augusta, the area's independent history is well known for their love of Independence Party Governor Jesse Ventura.

Wanted to rename their name Ventura.

So, is it still kind of an independent-libertarian type community, politically?

- A little bit shifting since Ventura days because this is an area that people, there's more housing, there's more people that have moved here since Ventura days.

So they're bringing different politics with them here.

Conservative, yet little bit of spice of moderate thrown in.

It's that kind of year, you know, and coming back again and showing you some of the things that we have done and will do.

- [Mary] Last time the Republican reached out to her changing community, she has her literature translated into Somali and is hiring staff from the growing ethnic group.

- St.

Cloud is a small town but it's a big town.

It's growing and people still have that perception of being a small, central Minnesota town, but it's becoming a rural center.

Diversity's here and we have to embrace it.

If you don't realize it, then you're kind of putting blinders on.

So, for me, from the very beginning when I saw the landscape changing, I reached out.

- The St.

Cloud area has a Democratic senator, a Democratic representative, and one Republican representative who won in an unexpectedly close race.

- After the redistricting two years ago, I think it shocked a lot of people that it became 50-50.

So, it is a little bit more of 50-50, not a given.

And, as you know, I only won by 199 votes.

What I was being told going into the election, "It's not necessarily a red wave anymore, it's work it hard.

Talk to your constituents and connect."

Have you decided on the individual- - Still figuring it out, so.

- You're still figuring it out, okay.

- [Mary] Perryman tries to resist political labels even in this partisan era.

- I have a saying, "I watch my own bobber."

I can't worry about the external noise that's being created because of an opponent.

At the doors they're not really talking about that specific, they're just still speaking about a livability, affordability or workforce and quality of values.

And is it all good or do you have questions?

- It's all good.

- [Bernie] All good.

Anything I can answer for you to keep that goodness high?

- Need absentee ballot.

- [Bernie] You need an absentee ballot.

I'm doing it because of the 25 years that this community gave to me and what they offered to me I will never find again.

And I'll tell you what was the real hit home me was I got diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and you think you're all alone.

But no.

(soothing music) - Since Republicans made the biggest gains in the election and now in the legislature, they had to flip some seats.

These were all in rural areas.

One of the most important upsets happened in Saint Peter where a Republican who's new to politics won.

- I'm Erica Schwartz, I am the Republican nominee for state workers, I live here in Nicollet County.

- I'm all in on Republicans.

So, go get 'em.

- Okay.

Sounds like- - [Onlooker] You could be a tiger out there.

- [Mary] Republican challenger, Erica Schwartz, is a first-time candidate counting on voters in the rural red part of the district who want change.

- Nicollet is a particularly Republican-strong area, not so much scary.

A lot of people have voiced their concerns and they just hope that we're able to flip the seat to bring some accountability and balance back into the district.

- [Mary] A gas station in Nicollet is a hot spot in the Republican region.

- This is the business that I help my husband run.

You'll hear everything.

We have a large group of regular people that come in for coffee in the mornings and then Wednesday mornings we have another group of church ladies that come in.

- Last time, the Democrat from Saint Peter won by just over 400 votes.

The election before, the Republican prevailed by about 100 votes.

So, needless to say, this is a swing district.

- I hope it's not that close.

I hope I win with a larger margin but we won't know until November.

All I can do is put in the work and campaign, campaign and campaign, door knock, meet and greet people and find out what's important to people - Schooling 'cause kids are our future.

So, I feel like there's not enough attention on that currently.

- What is your stance as far as who you're gonna vote for?

- That's a tough one.

- Okay.

- Just because I feel like it's such a kind of at a crossroads politically right now.

- [Mary] Schwartz has her life experience to call on.

- I was a former single parent for over 17 years and I lost my fiance in a car accident and that's how I became a single parent.

So, I know the struggles of a one-parent income and with this economy they've been hit hard.

I've seen what the economy has done to our seniors.

I think it's time for a change and I wanna be that person to make that change at the Capitol for the people of Minnesota, here, especially in Southern Minnesota.

Are you planning on voting now that you're of age?

- Most likely, yeah, 'cause this year will be my first, like, big, like voting experience.

- [Mary] Do you feel kinda that the tendency that federal, national presidential race might affect this?

- It could.

I've been noticing a lot of more of that in the parades that we've been in this summer.

Talking to people outside of Nicollet.

I've seen a lotta more Trump flags, Republicans are more proud and we're not afraid so much to be a Trump supporter now.

And this area is huge for Trump support.

(bright music) - Another college town also had a key race.

This won a Democrat who had a different approach to reaching out in greater Minnesota, retained her seat.

(water rushes) 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] DFL representative, Kristi Pursell, is defending her House seat 58 A in a district that has a senator from the opposite party.

- Flooding at the Cannon River this year is that issue that's top of mind for people.

What other issue top of mind in the district?

And 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 who feel left behind and especially I would say farmers.

I've farmed for 10 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.

- In the last election, the DFL 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.

- 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 mean, it's a small town, so I have a lot of connections and 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 different times.

This time has been about 9 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 that's helpful.

I'm your state representative.

- Honestly, women's rights, like, reproductive rights.

I feel like a huge thing.

I would say education rights, as well.

- [Onlooker] Education, I would say, is probably important to me.

- [Mary] Pursell will need women, students and teacher to turn out in her community with two liberal 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 professor at Carleton College, beloved.

- [Mary] Ultimately, the district is one of a handful that could decide control at the Capitol.

- This is my farmer friend that- 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 the ticket and maybe I sound a little different, too.

(bright music) - One of the most engaged and independent districts we visited featured a young republican who has a very different message than the top of the ticket and he won again.

- My name's Elliott Engen, I'm your guys' state representative.

- [Mary] He wore through four pairs of boots door-knocking when this Republican flipped the House seat 36 A in the last election with a unique message.

- It's a crazy world we're living in, but just wanna restore some sanity.

I'm out front with it, I'm not a huge Trump guy.

I just don't like his character.

I think that being young actually is a superpower in politics right now because people wanna see a change and they wanna see some innovative ideas that aren't just the same party platitudes that we've been used to.

- [Mary] And you made history, the first Republican Gen Z-er, is that fair?

- [Elliott] That's correct.

Yeah, yeah, Gen Z.

- [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 don't know where you're at on this.

- [Elliott] I'm on the Republican ticket, but I believe both sides need to.

I totally understand, man.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Thank you.

I still wanna work for you regardless of the party.

This is a battleground, for sure, but that also provides some opportunity because we get to talk to folks of every single walk of life in this district.

I mean, we have North Oaks, very well off, lots of doctors, lawyers, and then you go to Lino Lakes and you have, you know, a trailer park where it's potentially a union plumber.

We get to talk to everybody and we get to understand what it is that they're feeling about politics.

- This north metro seat has swung back and forth.

It was decided by just 100 votes, the election before the last.

- It's awesome because people ticket split in this area, too.

They want to talk to their rep, they wanna know that they can trust them and that they're not just some crazy wacko that they see on, you know, MSNBC or Fox News.

- [Mary] But does the 100 votes, like, did that haunt you a little bit?

- [Elliott] A little bit, for sure.

Yeah, that number sticks with you.

It also just drives you to go and knock on more doors, go talk to more people.

- [Mary] Voters here are also clear they wanna 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 and kindness for each other.

- There's 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 just simply non-existent in our Twin Cities.

Even if it's not in the majority, I think we can work alongside Democrats.

So, there's still work to be done, but it's not gonna be a career, that's for darn sure.

Just dropping by seeing what's top of mind for you guys amongst all the political nonsense.

- Talk about how being an athlete prepared you for politics.

- Yeah, I actually learned a ton of invaluable skills through Hamline baseball.

We need to be good men first.

We need to be good leaders first before we're good baseball players.

- And you played higher than that, I mean... - St. Paul Saints for just a little bit.

- [Mary] Talk about that a little bit.

- Third string catcher, didn't get many at bats, but I absolutely loved it.

(vibrant music) - Another area where Republican candidate wan stood out for calling himself a moderate who will work across the aisle, that's in Lake Elmo.

- A Lake Elmo restaurant that's not shy about its politics is the place where this Republican is trying to retain house seat 41 A for his party.

- Hi, I am Wayne Johnson.

I'm running for Minnesota House.

Washington County and, specifically, my district, is purple.

Mark only won by 120 votes.

We're probably even more purple now.

So it's really gonna be about connecting with the voters that wanna work with both sides and wanna get something done.

- [Mary] So, do you think it could be even closer?

I mean, could this be less than 100 votes this time?

- [Wayne] I would not be surprised.

- [Mary] The Republican has appeared on local ballots before, winning seats on city council and county board.

- I'm going down to the Capitol, kinda helping start working together and start talking to each other down there.

It's a nonpartisan role, so it never got brought up this, "Oh, this is this side, this is that side."

You're working for the community.

We understood what's good for the whole county is good for our district.

I know with my experience of bipartisanship and then also I've been down there testifying and I've also been to D.C., so I know how to work with both sides.

- Not only was the last general election here decided by just over 100 votes, but the Republican primary one month ago was equally as close.

- It took a lot of work, more work than I probably have ever done in any of my other races.

They saw me more as a moderate, more as a working-with-both-sides, as opposed to- - [Mary] Not a lot of moderates are winning primaries right now though, are they?

- [Wayne] No, they're not.

And that's what was amazing.

Have you thought about the election coming up yet?

- Oh, yeah, yeah.

- Have you?

Okay.

- I can't help it.

(both laughing) - Do you normally go Republican or Democrat?

- I'm a independent all the way.

- [Mary] The district is growing and getting even more competitive.

A 10 or 20-point margin wouldn't surprise people.

- You know, it actually helps me work harder.

It makes me want to go out and knock that extra door and start making those extra conversations with people and talking to both sides.

I think the best advice was given to me before is always assume you're behind.

Have you decided which direction you'd like to go?

- Always conservative.

- [Wayne] Oh, well, bless you.

- Fiscal responsibility would be a goal.

- When you go to the doors, you know, they usually have, what?

30% on one side, 30% on the other, and then you have the 40% in the middle.

When I'm going up to the door and they're saying "I'm tired of all the extremism and nobody working together."

And I say, "Well, I came from a bipartisan or a nonpartisan role, and I'm used to working with sides."

"Oh, thank you, we need you down there."

So, I'm going down there with that because I get frustrated, too.

- Well, you can count on a couple of votes here.

(vibrant music) - The other side of the district around Hastings was also closely contested with another open seat Republicans retained with a new candidate.

- Hey, there, I'm Tom Dippel, I'm running for the House seat here in the district.

- [Mary] The Republican has deep ties here, too.

We're right off the Mississippi, which I grew up on my whole life.

I love the natural resources that we have here in the state and certainly we need to do everything that we can to protect the beauty that we see here.

Grew up on Grey Cloud Island and then moved up behind Park High School a little bit after I graduated, and then another home became available down there in the area that I really loved.

We moved down there with our kids and now we live down on the end of Grey Cloud Island.

- [Mary] Now, with an open seat in District 41 B, these river cities will have their say on a new representative.

- There was a pin at 310 up here where somebody had not talked to us yet.

The community is really tight-knit.

Everybody has taken time to invest, whether it's businesses, I have a local business just up Highway 61, and we love our communities.

So, there hasn't been a huge reason to leave and that's why many people stay.

- Last time this race in Hastings was decided by about two percentage points, which is just over 400 votes.

This time with an open seat, it could be even closer.

- I think that people are looking for balance.

I was asked to run for quite a long time by multiple people.

I have six kids and I always said, "I'm not running until our last kid is outta diapers."

It's a difficult field to enter into, but my desire to serve the community that we grew up in and, really, to try to serve everybody that lives here well.

I'll be praying for ya.

- [Home Owner] I appreciate that greatly.

- [Mary] Dippel opened a private Christian school where his kids attend and runs a business around dentistry.

- I have to manage budgets and every manager and department has a different idea of how to do things best.

I have to work through those issues with them.

We have to meet budgets.

We have to make sure that things are not only running, but running efficiently, and we use the resources that we have appropriately.

- Here we don't drink the water.

You know, we have a system.

- For sure.

- Yeah.

- The water issue in Hastings here where they have to install water filtration systems at multiple major wells, this is gonna cost the city about $70 million.

Somebody has to step in and advocate for the city.

If Hastings isn't included, that's gonna potentially cause water bills to rise over 400%.

We should never put partisanship ahead of things that are fundamental to life.

- [Mary] After just one term, the Republican incumbent is not running again after finding the legislature a frustrating place in the minority.

- I think every single rep that I've ever talked to has said that this is a very difficult job.

I'm the kind of person that likes a challenge.

(gentle music) - Yet another open seat was in Coon Rapids, closer to the metro Democrats continue to gain and a new Democrat will be serving there.

(water rushes) Water is what originally attracted people to Coon Rapids and it's where the mighty Mississippi still roars by popular parks and trails.

- I taught public school for a long time, science teacher.

I care about our environment.

Thank you, so much.

- I hope it warms up.

- Take care.

When I ask, "What do you love about living here?"

It's our parks and trails, our quiet streets.

And if you take a look around, nature's beauty is everywhere around us.

I'm Kari Rehrauer, I'm running for the Minnesota House of Representatives.

There's gonna be a lot of close races.

- [Mary] Politics may not be top of mind yet for voters, but in what could be the closest race in the state, they will be made aware.

- The biggest thing is hitting every door and talking face-to-face with people.

I think that's where they get a sense of who you really are.

When you talk to folks, they're very independent.

- [Mary] In this district, both candidates are willing to talk about the middle.

- Not a big fan of the partisanship because so many things are not either or, or black or white.

We're in between.

So many things are and.

For example, we need public safety.

We need safe streets and police accountability.

So it's both.

We have to well-fund our police departments like I have on the city council.

- Last time this race here in the Coon Rapids area was decided by just over 200 votes.

It doesn't get closer than that in Minnesota politics.

- [Kari] From my understanding, he won by the slimmest margin of any current sitting House member.

- [Mary] That's a lot... - [Kari] Yeah.

(laughs) - [Mary] For you to take on, right?

- [Kari] Yes.

- [Mary] Does it scare you to hear that number?

- Yes, it's a little bit intimidating, but also it's motivating.

It motivates you to want to make sure that you've talked to every resident.

It's really important that we all listen to each other, even if we disagree and we collaborate and do what we can for our city.

- [Mary] The Democrat is running as a moderate with experience in city council and teaching in the classroom.

- I was a teacher with a career spanning 20 years.

Why I decided to run goes back to teaching.

We had had 20% of our staff cut the previous spring and it really felt like it was unsafe for our kids.

There wasn't enough adults in the building to take care of our students.

I really wanted to make a difference on education and find a way to get back to where we used to be.

It was 20 years of underfunding, 20 years, and so we just had an increase and it's going to take a little bit of time for that to make a difference.

The biggest things I hear from folks are, one, they want us to work together.

They're tired of divisiveness.

Why can't we meet in the middle somewhere?

Are you a resident of Coon Rapids?

- Yeah, Coon Rapids, yeah.

- Oh, wonderful.

Nice to meet you.

- Yeah, nice to meet you, too.

- Enjoy your walk.

(gentle music) - One of the most targeted races in the entire state was in the West Metro in Chanhassen, where Democrats also held on.

- I'm Lucy Rehm.

Nice to meet you.

- It's nice to meet you.

I have heard of you.

- So, I'm your state rep, I'm running for re-election.

Would love your support and your vote.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you for all you do, too.

- [Mary] DFL Representative Lucy Rehm from Chanhassen in District 48B knocked off an incumbent Republican to get to the Capitol.

♪ Dearly Beloved ♪ We are gathered here today ♪ ♪ To get through this thing called life ♪ - [Mary] Where she sponsored a bipartisan bill to rename a highway in the district in honor of its most famous resident and business.

- [Lucy] Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway.

- [Home Owner] Are you taking credit for that while you're talking to folks?

- [Lucy] You know, every now and then I talk about the "Purple Rain" in Chanhassen.

You know, I like to make that little joke.

We were able to get everyone on board to vote for it.

People want to see a functioning government.

They want us to get things done.

You think about Chanhassen, you think about Paisley Park, you think about Chanhassen Dinner Theater, you think about the arboretum.

- In the last election, this House seat in Chanhassen was decided by just over 400 votes.

So, it's, again, expected to be another close contest.

- So, last time, you know, I don't think I was on the radar.

I don't think people knew that, you know, I was potentially going to flip the seat.

- [Mary] It was a blink ago we were meeting you as a freshman and now you're already running for re-election.

What about that pacing and cycle?

- It's fast, you know, it seems like we're always busy.

It is kind of surprising how quickly everything evolves, I would say.

- [Mary] Polls show the battle for the House is close and this suburban seat could decide complete control at the Capitol.

- I'm a DFL-er, pro reproductive freedom.

- We're good, yeah.

- [Lucy] Good, awesome.

And you'll be voting?

- Yeah.

- [Lucy] Awesome, great.

Thank you so much.

- [Home Owner] Thank you.

- [Mary] The representative says she tries to talk to women, in particular, at the doors who help propel abortion as a top issue for Democrats in the last election.

- It does seem like I am one of the top names that I'm seeing when they talk about whether or not we're gonna keep the House.

But I keep thinking that the pressure's really not on me, it's on the voters.

We thought that last time, too, that we needed to turn out not just people who lean toward the Dem's side, but also people who are in the middle, people who are independent.

I think that's where these races are won.

I think democracy is on the ballot.

It was last time, but it still is.

(vibrant music) - The Western suburbs also saw the only Senate race in a special election on the ballot that decided control of the Senate, as well.

That was tied 33, 33.

But now a former DFL Senator will return to give her party slim control of the chamber once again.

- I'm Ann Johnson Stewart.

I am a civil engineer, a former state senator, a former business owner and I teach at the University of Minnesota.

- [Mary] The Democrat in the race in Senate District 45 in the West Metro is seeking a return trip to the Capitol after redistricting.

- [Ann] What I learned in my term as a state senator was how much of our daily lives are controlled in St. Paul.

- [Mary] You must have liked it enough to wanna do it again, too.

(both laughing) - Well, the other thing I learned is that everyone that is a legislator, most people are really good people, and really smart and really passionate.

- [Mary] Control at the Capitol will be decided in this special election with the Senate currently standing at a 33-33 tie.

To be the one and only Senate race.

How does that feel different?

- Well, it is the one and only Senate race.

Getting through the primary, getting the community to know who I am and what I care about.

It's just a different method than it was before.

But the fact that it's the only Senate race, there's a little pressure there.

- Last time the Senate race here in the West Metro wasn't particularly a large margin, with a 12 percentage point victory for the Democrat.

But with just one Senate race on the ballot, that will settle a tie, the stakes are high.

- That is true.

It does decide who will be in the majority and I feel very fortunate that I had the DFL endorsement and I got through the primary.

It's important to me that the DFL maintain control, both as a candidate but also as somebody who's lived here for 40 years.

- [Mary] The top issues here vary depending who you talk to.

- They care very much, especially around things like abortion rights, funding public schools.

And for me, as an engineer, funding our infrastructure, all those things are in jeopardy if the DFL doesn't stay in control, so that's what's driving me.

Making sure that in nursing homes we have adequate pay.

- [Mary] Elder issues were the focus of this forum.

What about elder issues today?

Is this important for the district?

- So, my mother-in-law used to live right there.

(laughs) So, I know this community well and actually one of my strategies for winning the primary was to reach out to every over-55 in senior living community.

So I'm looking at the sidewalk as we speak.

- [Mary] And what's your assessment of the sidewalk here?

- This sidewalk's in good condition.

So, let's move on.

(laughs) - [Mary] How unique did that make you, though, to have that engineering background and care about pavement?

- I care a lot about pavement.

I have a master's degree in pavement engineering, but it made me unique because I can't believe this, I was the first civil engineer to ever serve in the Senate.

(vibrant music) - Finally, a look at what was a life-changing election for Governor Tim Walz who became nationally known seemingly overnight as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate.

Long before he was selected, we noticed Walz was increasing his national standing.

Here's a look at a story we did many months earlier.

- Governor Tim Walz, welcome.

With your national profile, I kinda wanted to dig in a little bit.

- [Mary] "The Washington Post" called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a key player in a live election event.

- [Interviewer] "Would you consider running for president yourself?"

- It just seems a bit overwhelming (chuckles) to think about when someone tells you they want to be the president whenever, that always kinda scares me.

- Governor, thanks for sitting down with "Newsweek Magazine."

- [Mary] This on the heels of a "Newsweek" interview in the state.

- You can win an election by burning the house down, but can you govern?

You're not gonna see me campaign on, you know, calling someone a name, but I am gonna call 'em out that they're against democracy.

- [Mary] Those two high-profile media events, what does it tell you?

- Well, I remember some of these things from my past life and, you know, I've never met a governor who didn't in the back of their mind think about running for President.

Pretty much any governor who does that job, at least into a second term, starts thinking about, you know, "I'm pretty good at running my state.

I wonder if I could do the next thing."

- McClung managed communications for the last Minnesota governor we've seen do this much national media.

Local press, national press.

How do you weave that without hacking us off too much and saying, "Oh, he's forgetting about his home state," but also do the national.

What's that balance?

- I mean, it's almost an impossible balancing act.

By default when you're out there doing those things, you get consumed by the Washington D.C., New York City-based media and your local media who've been following you since, you know, you were a cub, you know, member of the legislature or member of Congress.

They think like, "Oh, well now you'd rather talk to these guys."

It is a really tough balancing act.

- [Walz] It's that story, that picture went everywhere.

- It's on YouTube.

- It got on YouTube, didn't it?

- So there are some consistent signs to look out for when a governor is increasing their national profile.

Here's a few of those signals.

- We at the Democratic Governor's Association are reminding people in Minnesota by the end of this year, I will have appointed four of the seven Supreme Court justices.

People who will work with the rule of law.

- [Mary] A sign?

Become head of one of the National Governor's associations.

- When I worked for Governor Pawlenty, he was the Vice Chair and then Chair of the National Governor's Association.

That tended to be a real high-profile position.

Bill Clinton, for example, had been the Chair of the National Governor's Association before he ran for President.

For Governor Walz, he's the head of the Democratic Governor's Association.

That has traditionally been a really important place for governors to build up their political chops.

- The Republican Party, in contrast, last time they filed, had $52 out here and there's no offices for Trump.

- [Mary] Next, do lot's of national news.

- Once you become a regular, the bookers on the other cable networks see that and think, "Oh, this guy's got an interesting angle or something to say."

So, it really builds on its own at that point, - 12-year member of the United States Congress, served on armed services, lived as a young man in Asia and a global geography teacher.

Global issues matter deeply to me.

- [Mary] Governors have to prove their international experience.

- That can be an area of weakness for governors, right?

They're very domestically focused, obviously.

And, so, when governors start to look at the national stage, you see them start to talk about the experience they've had.

- And I think the President's doing all he can.

And this is where folks like myself can help.

Minnesota has historically low unemployment rates - [Mary] Finally, become a surrogate, an advocate for a presidential candidate.

How about being a surrogate for a presidential candidate?

- Big time.

And that is absolutely one of the key roles that a governor can find themselves in other states speaking out in support of your party's nominee for President.

For sure Governor Pawlenty did some of that back in the day and now see Governor Walz going out and going to other states and talking on behalf of President Biden.

But it also tends to put you in states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

And interestingly- - [Mary] Funny how that works.

(bright music) - As it became clear Walz was in the running for Vice President, we tracked him down at a Minnesota Vikings football practice.

He was picked soon after.

- [Announcer] Cheer 'em on guys, cheer 'em on.

- [Mary] A football field reminds folks of Governor Walz's resume as a former state champion high school football coach as he tries out for higher office.

- [Mary] The coach in you, did you love being back here as a football coach?

- Yes, I said, you know, "I'm a little nostalgic about Mankato," but it's always that fresh-start thing, that everybody's, 0 and 0, here we go.

See 'em out here.

Football's who we are, football's our culture.

And I will say this, I'm getting a little bit, "Dang, summer's going fast."

So.

(laughs) - [Mary] So, how about your resume?

Because the national press has been taking note, football coach is part of the resume.

This kind of helps brandish.

- I lead with that football coach.

I said I never closed the yearbook.

- [Reporter] Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is among those being vetted as a possible running mate.

You are a governor of a must-win state for the Democrats.

Are you what this ticket needs to be able to beat the Trump-Vance ticket?

- We will beat that ticket.

The enthusiasm that has exploded across Minnesota since the announcement of Vice President Harris is something to behold.

- [Mary] Walz has been leading a lot of media reports lately, which have him making the top three in Vice President Kamala Harris' search for a running mate.

What about the reports you're top three?

Do you feel it?

Do you believe it?

- I don't know.

I said it's an honor to be considered in this, I'm just focusing and I made the case that I think we just need a change towards a more inclusive and a more hopeful type of politics.

And I'm just doing my part to be a part of that.

- [Mary] No matter what, do you expect to keep being out?

- [Walz] I'll keep out there, I'll be out there.

I'll do whatever's asked of me to make sure the ticket goes.

- [Mary] Press as far away as Britain's "The Guardian" had detailed why they think Kamala should select Tim.

But his experience in the battlegrounds of the Midwest is also getting noticed.

- I guarantee you today over in the bars in Wisconsin, they're talking about the Packers and things like that.

They're not talking about book banning or contraception.

So, it just seems weird that you would focus on that rather than on football.

So, I'm glad to be here to talk Vikings.

These are weird ideas, listen to them speak.

Listen to how they talk about things.

- The Harris campaign seems to be following your lead, echoing this language.

(crowd cheering) - Mary] Tim Walz's debut as a vice presidential candidate came in front of a roaring crowd.

- Welcome the next Vice President of the United States, Tim Walz.

(crowd cheers) - [Mary] On his biggest stage yet, the Minnesota Governor gladly educated the audience on his credentials.

- Don't ever underestimate teachers.

- [Mary] The teacher and veteran explained his service that has been questioned.

- For 24 years I proudly wore the uniform of this nation.

(crowd cheers) - [Mary] The coach detailed his successes.

- For nearly 20 years, I had the privilege of teaching high school Social Studies and coaching football.

(crowd cheers) Including winning that state championship.

So, thank you.

(crowd cheers) - [Mary] Including a congressional career from a conservative district.

- I learned the art of compromise without compromising my values.

- [Mary] But he went on offense.

- Donald Trump sees the world a little differently than us.

(crowd booing) First of all, he doesn't know the first thing about service.

He doesn't have time for it 'cause he's too busy serving himself.

- He's going for things that nobody's ever even heard of.

Heavy into the transgender world, heavy into lots of different worlds having to do with safety.

He doesn't wanna have borders, he doesn't wanna have walls, he doesn't wanna have any form of safety for our country.

- [Mary] And he continued the attack line that made him famous.

- These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell.

That's what you see.

(laughs) That's what you see.

(crowd cheers) You know what's out there, so say it with me.

We aren't going back!

- [Crowd] We aren't going back!

- We aren't going back!

- As soon as the news broke that Governor Walz was indeed the Vice Presidential candidate, Minnesotans in the governor's neighborhood gathered in support.

- [Bystander] It's amazing to be here.

I got up this morning watching the news like everybody else and I'm just across the river, so I just had to bike over.

And when I saw the barricades with, you know, hundreds of pounds of sandbags, I just had to take the opportunity to get a best view possible.

- [Mary] What did you see?

What'd you see in there?

- Just so great to see Tim Walz getting in the cars that see everybody moving around.

The thought that this is the place where it all started.

That there's so much has happened, and to hear a helicopter in our neighborhood, to be something positive is nice.

- I feel hope for the first time.

I feel like since Obama and, you know, or it has that kind of energy again and so excited to wear my shirt and have a woman hopefully be our President.

And it's just, it's exciting.

- [Mary] And what about a Vice Presidential candidate from Minnesota?

- I mean, Minnesota pride is like nothing else.

I woke up this morning, saw the news, and got in my car and head out.

You know, this is neighborhoods and this is what Minnesota's all about.

- How cool was it to be in this crowd and see this firsthand?

- The energy was great, but also it's so Minnesotan that it wasn't crazy.

We were all just chatting and people had their coffee and that's, again, that's what this is gonna all be about.

- [Mary] The neighborhood couldn't miss how Minnesotan their organic gathering felt.

- [Cyclist] Everybody in the nation now is gonna learn how to use jumper cables.

- [Mary] 'Cause of Governor Walz.

- [Cyclist] That's right.

- [Mary] Why'd you decide to show up today?

- You know, Walz is gonna be a good guy.

He's good, school teacher, down to earth.

I think he's gonna do a good job.

- We've got some great you betcha energy here today.

Let me tell ya.

- [Mary] Do you live in the neighborhood?

- [Onlooker] Yeah, St. Paul, yeah.

It had to be here, a part of it cheering him on.

(crowd applauds and cheers) (soothing music) - The new Democratic Presidential ticket had to quickly pivot to a national convention where Walz played a prominent role.

(upbeat music) (crowd cheering) Presidential candidate Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman of color to accept the nomination.

- Good evening.

- [Mary] As another vice presidential candidate from Minnesota serves in support of the top job.

♪ VP Harris ♪ Governor Walz - [Mary] Coach Walz's former football players set the stage for him.

- You might not know it, but I haven't given a lot of big speeches like this.

(crowd laughs) But I have given a lot of pep talks.

- [Mary] The Trump-Vance campaign says Walz failed to address the inconsistencies or exaggerations in his record.

But what stood out in the most important speech of the Governor's life was not a political moment, but a personal one.

- [Walz] Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world and I love you.

(crowd cheers) - [Mary] Emotion overflowed from his family and the crowd in an unconventional convention.

(bright music) There was only one Vice Presidential debate and Walz wasn't seen as smooth as Vance.

(lively music) - [Moderator] Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Ohio's Republican Senator JD Vance.

- [Mary] Walz initially seemed nervous with the first question on a global conflict.

- Steady leadership is gonna matter.

It's clear and the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago.

A nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment.

- Who has been the Vice President for the last 3 and a half years?

And the answer is, you're running mate, not mine.

Donald Trump consistently made the world more secure, - Started very nervous, very unsure of himself.

There is a pause, there is a reality check.

And I think of it like you and I, like I used to have that pause even before a big radio show of election night, right?

But now 30 years later, you don't.

This was the largest stage he'd ever been on.

- [Mary] Olson has moderated several gubernatorial debates with Walz.

- [Olson] Tim Walz is not a person who learns a canned answer.

- There was what I think was a planned zinger, that I don't know if it landed?

- No, it didn't land.

He didn't land much early.

Issues he's comfortable about, he's gonna be fine.

- [Mary] Disaster response was more in the Governor's wheelhouse.

- Governor's know no partisanship, they work together.

- [Mary] Vance was ready on immigration.

- When she came into office, she said she was going to do this.

Real leadership would be saying, "You know what, I screwed up.

We're gonna go back to Donald Trump's border policies."

- Talking about and saying I will create stories to bring attention to this.

That vilified a large number of people who were here legally.

There's consequences for this.

- And Walz's future?

I hear so many commentators saying, "Well, he never wants a job.

He doesn't have aspirations."

Do you believe that?

- I think he has aspirations.

I think his team has aspirations for him.

- [Mary] Ultimately, this debate appeared less pitched and partisan than expected.

- I've enjoyed tonight's debate and I think there was a lot of commonality here and I'm sympathetic to misspeaking on things and I think I might have with the Senator, but- - Me, too, man.

- I think we started to turn a page, we needed to turn that page nationally.

It's the thing I hear about the most from people.

"Why can't we just be more civil?"

But at least people saw optimism in the dialogue and the discussion.

That is the way athletes compete.

They shake hands at the end of the competition.

(vibrant music) - The national media were fascinated with the football coach from Minnesota and he did the rounds.

- Good morning, everybody.

- [Onlooker] How ya feeling?

- [Mary] Governor Walz was especially excited to return home to cast his ballot with a new voter in the family.

- [Worker] First-time voter!

(crowd cheers and applauds) - Beautiful Minnesota day, super exciting, cast my vote for Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Betty McCollum, and to have my son with me, Gus, to vote for the first time.

Exciting, an opportunity to turn the page on the chaos of Donald Trump and a new way forward.

- [Mary] The Democratic Vice Presidential candidate has had a whirlwind campaign and recent media tour.

(crowd cheers) - [Announcer] Tim Walz.

- Traveling the country and getting to see Americans where they're at, getting to hear where they're at.

Waking up yesterday in Saginaw, Michigan and going to a union hall and then a church to see people.

It has been something.

- Please welcome the Democratic nominee for Vice President, Governor Tim Walz.

(crowd cheers) (upbeat music) Is this the first non-swing state that you've been in in the last... (everyone laughs) - Been in a couple, but mostly the swing states.

- Mostly the swing states, because you saw the reaction that you got here.

You're coming into New York.

We haven't seen, honestly, (crowd cheering) anybody.

Right now when you roll into Pennsylvania, are they just like, "Oh, my God."

(everyone laughs) - No, they're excited.

They know what's riding on this.

They know that those swing states and those counties matter.

It's targeted.

They're doing the work.

- You went from running in Minnesota, now you're on the campaign trail, accompanied by Secret Service.

(Walz laughs) What is it like running with Secret Service around you?

- It's a little different, but runners are runners anywhere.

Get yourself a dog if you don't ever have one and get out there and vote.

You have been a good boy!

- That was fantastic, Scout.

- We probably need a pup cup, man.

♪ I'm proud to be an American - [Mary] Former President Trump went after Walz at his rally in Georgia.

- Remember he called JD Vance and I weird?

We're not weird, we're very solid people.

He's a weird dude, that guy is.

He's always pumping his heart.

Ha, ha, ha.

You know, like he's got great heart.

(bright music) - That concludes our look back at a fascinating and historic election in Minnesota.

Tune into more "Almanac" and "Almanac at the Capitol" episodes for much more ongoing coverage of politics and government.

(bright music) (bright music continues) - [Announcer] "Almanac" is made possible by members of this public television station.

Support is also provided by Great River Energy, providing wholesale power to 27 Minnesota electric cooperatives.

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, improving oral health while advancing social equities.

Deltadentalmn.org/tpt.

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More at educationminnesota.org.

And PaintCare, helping Minnesota paint smarter to prevent waste, more at paintcare.org.

"Almanac" is a production of Twin Cities PBS for the stations of Minnesota Public Television Association.