PERCEPTIONS.

>> Eric: ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE YOU, CHRIS.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU.

>> ERIC: CONTROL OF THE MINNESOTA HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO BE CLOSE THIS ELECTION.

COMMUNITIES LIKE SHAKOPEE ARE CHANGING AND GROWING.

SO TOO ARE THE POLITICS THERE.

THAT’S WHERE WE FIND MARY LAHAMMER IN THIS WEEK’S "RACE TO WATCH."

>> OH, MY GOODNESS.

>> WHAT'S THE NAME >> >> GIZMO.

>> Mary: THE INCUMBENT IN SHAKOPEE, DISTRICT 54A IS DEMOCRAT BRAD TABKE WHO JUST HAPPENED TO FIND PLENTY OF PUPPIES AND BABIES WHILE CAMPAIGNING IN HIS CHANGING DISTRICT.

>> WELL, THANK YOU.

SHAKOPEE IS GROWING BECAUSE IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE.

IT'S A GREAT PLACE.

WE'VE GOT GREAT SCHOOLS, GREAT PARKS, GREAT PUPPIES RUNNING AROUND DOWNTOWN.

SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND SHAKOPEE IS ALSO EXTREMELY DIVERSE.

PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT THIS VERY MUCH.

>> MY NAME'S AARON PAUL, I'M RUNNING FOR MINNESOTA HOUSE.

>> Mary: THE REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER IS A LONG-TIME RESIDENT.

>> WHAT KIND OF ISSUES DO YOU THINK ARE IMPORTANT?

>> TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY.

>> THEY SAID YOU THINK SOUL YOU SHOULD RUN AGAINST BRAD TAB YEAR.

I SAID THAT SOUNDS LIKE A TERRIBLE IDEA.

I HAD NO IDEA I'D E THE CANDIDATE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS DO POLITICAL SIGNS OR NOT.

WOULD I BE ABLE TO PUT ONE UP HERE ON THE CORNER FOR YOU.

>> Mary: PUBLIC SAFETY, IN TRANSPORTATION AND IN OUR CITIES.

>> 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 HEAR -- THIS BRIDGE THAT WE HAVE BEHIND WASN'T UILT AND SHAKOPEE WAS CUT OFF FROM THE METRO EVERY YEAR FOR MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE RIVER FLOODING.

THANK YOU.

THAT WAS A WONDERFUL SOUND BY.

I APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT.

>> SKIPPING THIS HOUSE.

IT'S NOT ON OUR LIST.

SO GO TO THE NEXT ONE.

>> Mary: SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THE ISSUE 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 WAS THEY DIDN'T LISTEN TO TEACHERS, THEY DIDN'T TO STUDENTS, THEY CERTAINLY DIDN'T LISTEN TO COPS, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

IF I WASN'T A COP, I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN A TEACHER.

>> Mary: THE REMOVAL OF MANY SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS WAS THE ISSUE THAT GOT PAUL TO RUN.

WHAT SKILL SET DO YOU THINK BEING AN OFFICER COULD ELP 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, JUST BECAUSE I SEE PARTICULAR SIGNS IN THE YARD DOESN'T MEAN THAT I SKIP THOSE YARDS.

I GO UP JUST TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, BECAUSE IN THE END, REGARDLESS OF WHAT POLITICAL AISLE, SIDE YOU'RE ON, WE'RE STILL BOTH HUMAN BEINGS.

YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS OR ARE YOU GOOD?

>> I'M OF I'M GOOD.

>> Mary: LAST TIME AROUND, THE DEMOCRAT WON BY ALMOST TEN PERCENTAGE POINTS.

THIS TIME THERE'S A NEW REPUBLICAN RUNNING AND EVERYONE INVOLVED EXPECTS TO BE CLOSE.

>> WE ENDED UP BEING THE FIRST DEMOCRAT TO RUN IN SHAKOPEE IN 20 YEARS.

>> Mary: THE YEAR YOU LOST -- WAS SUPER CLOSE.

>> IT WAS ROUGH.

AND IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HARD LOSING IN 2020 BECAUSE IT WAS MATTER IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME.

WE HAD A LEGAL MARIJUANA CANDIDATE IN 2022 AND WE CRUSHED IT.

THE G.O.P.

REALLY, REALLY WANTS THIS SEAT BACK AND WE CAN'T GO BACK.

>> Mary: WILL IT BE CLOSE AGAIN?

>> 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.

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK IT'S 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 MORTENSON WAS A FIGHTER, HE BELIEVED HE WAS FIGHTING FOR THE FOLKS IN THE DISTRICT.

HE JUST HAS A DIFFERENT WAY THAN I HAVE.

>> YOU GUYS LIVE IN SHAKOPEE?

>> YEAH, I JUST RECENTLY MOVED UP HERE.

>> AWESOME.

WE DOOR KNOCKED 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 WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE AT ND UNDERSTANDING HOW PEOPLE ARE FUNCTIONING, WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE THE FUTURE OF MINNESOTA AND SHAKOPEE OOK LIKE.

I'M DEMOCRAT IN THE RACE HERE AND IT'S A HUGE, HUGE THING, WORKING ON HEALTHCARE AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THE CARE THAT THEY NEED.

>> ARE YOU VOTING FOR ME?

>> YES, SIR.

>> I APPRECIATE THAT.

WHAT ISSUES CONCERN YOU RIGHT NOW?

>> THE ECONOMY.

BIGGEST ISSUES THAT I'M HEARING FINANCIAL, 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, $100 WORTH OF GROCERIES, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX BAGS AT CUB ARE NOW TWO AND A HALF BAGS.

PEOPLE NEED TO BE -- FEEL SAFE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THEY NEED TO BE ABLE FEEL SAFE IN THE PARK THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

I HOPE TO EARN OUR VOTE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO BE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD