FOR YOUR PERSPECTIVE, FORMER LEADER.

>> MARY: EDINA MIGHT BE THE CITY THAT EVERYONE LOVES TO HATE BUT AN OPEN SEAT IN A SHIFTING DISTRICT SAW THIS PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER STEP UP TO REPRESENT HER DISTRICT.

FIRST OF ALL, THE QUESTION I ASK EVERY NEW LAWMAKER IS WHY DID YOU WANT TO RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE?

>> YOU KNOW, I SERVED ON EDINA SCHOOL BOARD FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND ROLLED OFF MY TERM THE END OF LAST DECEMBER AND AGO AG BOARD MEMBER, I REALLY SAW DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND HOW THEY WORK AND MY WHOLE LIFE I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR DIFFERENT CAUSES.

AND THIS WAS KIND OF AN EVOLUTION OF THAT WORK, ESPECIALLY IN EDUCATION SPACE.

>> DID YOU KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE OPEN SEAT?

I'M GUESSING SOCIALLY YOU MIGHT HAVE KNOWN REPRESENTATIVE EDELSON.

DID YOU KNOW SHE WASN'T RUNNING, HOW DID THAT GO BEHIND THE SCENES?

>> HEATHER DID ALERT ME AND LET ME KNOW THAT SHE WASN'T GOING TO SEAT THIS SEAT AGAIN SO I HAD SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.

IT'S A BIG DECISION, NOT SOMETHING I MADE OVERNIGHT.

>> YOU'VE BEEN IN MINNESOTA AND EDINA LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS DISTRICT HAS EVOLVED FROM REPUBLICAN TO TOTALLY COMPETITIVE TO SAFE SEAT.

>> IT FELT SAFE BUT I NEVER APPROACHED THINGS THAT THERE'S EVER A SAFE SEAT.

IT'S SUPPORT IMPORTANT THAT WE INCLUDE ALL CONSTITUENTS IN TESTIFYINGS, THAT'S HOW I SERVED ON THE EDINA SCHOOL BOARD, TOO, SO I DOOR-KNOCKED EVERYBODY.

I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE ACROSS THE AISLE THAT I KNEW WEREN'T GOING TO VOTE FOR ME AND I GOT A LOT OF TEXTS FROM THEM ON ELECTION NIGHT CONGRATULATING ME.

>> Mary: WHY DO YOU THINK EDINA AND FIRST RING SUBURBS LIKE THAT HAVE GOTTEN LESS COMPETITIVE AND BLUER OVER TIMES?

>> FISCALLY, THE SUBURBS ARE MORE CONSERVATIVE BUT I THINK A LOT OF THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT THEY SEEM TO BE DRIVING A LOT OF CONVERSATION.

I THINK A LOT OF SUBURBS AND THE METRO, INCLUDING EDINA COMMUNITY, ARE TAKING A STAND WITH THEIR VALUES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TREAT PEOPLE AND LET PEOPLE LOVE WHO THEY WANT TO LOVE, LET PEOPLE LIVE HOW THEY WANT TO LIVE AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY AND NOTHING IS HELD AGAINST THEM.

I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO ACTUALLY HOW MINNESOTANS LIVE.

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

[Laughter] CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

KIND OF THE CITY THAT EVERYBODY LOVES TO HATE IN MINNESOTA.

>> YES, I'VE LEARNED THAT AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED -- I MEAN I'VE STAYED THERE.

WHICH MOVED TO MINNESOTA NOT KNOWING ANYBODY, 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 -- I THINK WE'RE AT 209 -- 208 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT I THINK EDINA, WE'VE BECOME A LOT MORE I THINK INCLUSIVE, I THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOLS.

I HAVE MET SOME OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE IN MY COMMUNITY.

>> Mary: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WERE SOME OF THE HEMES OR MESSAGES YOU HEARD FROM THIS ELECTORATE THIS TIME?

THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING ELECTION CYCLE.

YOU COULD HAVE DONE A WHOLE AP CLASS ON JUST DOOR-KNOCKING AND THE EVOLUTION OF DOOR-KNOCKING FROM JUNE UNTIL NOVEMBER AND THE CHANGES THAT WE SAW.

THAT SAID, SOME OF THE THEMES THAT CONTINUED TO OCCUR WERE PUBLIC EDUCATION, ARE WE TAKING CARE OF OUR SCHOOLS, ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO PREVENT ANY KIND OF GUN VIOLENCE.

THE OTHER PIECE THAT I HEARD WAS THE NATIONAL ELECTION.

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

>> THERE WAS A BIT OF APATHY.

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

>> Mary: DID IT MAKE DEMOCRATS OVER-CONFIDENT THAT THERE WAS THIS NEW ENTHUSIASM THAT HARRIS WAS GOING TO GET THE YOUTH VOTE WHEN TRUMP DID PRETTY WELL.

>> I DON'T KNOW THAT CONFIDENT IS THE RIGHT WORD BUT DEMOCRATS, WE NEED TO CONTINUE LISTENING AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING COMMUNITIES ALONG WITH ALL THE DECISIONS, AND WHAT I KEEP HEARING IS PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE -- YOU KNOW, THEY CAN AFFORD HEALTH CARE, THEY CAN AFFORD THEIR GROCERIES, THE ECONOMY IS SUPER IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT HAS -- THAT ACTUALLY POPPED UP MORE TOWARDS THE END OF THE ELECTION THAN AT THE BEGINNING, I WOULD SAY.

>> Mary: WHICH WAS HARDER ON DEMOCRATS THAN REPUBLICANS, IT LOOKS LIKE, IF WE LOOK AT THE -- THE ISSUE OF ECONOMY.

>> I THINK SO.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE A TIED CHAMBER?

THIS IS PROBABLY NOT WHAT YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING?

>> >> NO, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION I'VE GOTTEN AND I THINK THE MAIN THING FOR ME IS I DON'T KNOW ANY DIFFERENT.

I AM COMING INTO THIS BODY VERY SIMILAR TO HOW I CAME TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.

I WORKED ACROSS THE AISLE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NONPARTISAN AND I KEPT TRUE TO THAT.

I THINK IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO WORK ACROSS AND TALK TO ALL LEGISLATORS AND FIND COMMONALITY AND I THINK THAT I'M VERY CONFIDENT AND CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL GET A LOT OF WORK DONE.

I DON'T THINK PARTISANS WILL STANDS FOR IT IF WE DON'T.

>> Mary: WHAT WILL YOU CONSIDER A SUCCESS?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET DONE OR NEED TO GET DONE TO FEEL YOU'VE DONE YOUR JOB HERE?

>> MY GOAL WOULD BE TO BRING MY SCHOOL BOARD OICE TO THE COMMITTEES.

>> Mary: HOSPITAL COMMITTEES WILL BE WORKING ON -- AND NOW THERE'S K-12 THAT'S GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IT.

DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS WILL JOIN REPUBLICANS ON THAT?

>> I THINK SO, I THINK THAT'S WHY WE HAVE NOW AN OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND TO HAVE MORE EYES ON IT.

I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS, ALWAYS BENEFIT FROM HAVING EYES ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO LOOK AT THINGS AND THEN HOLD PEOPLE