>> Cathy: BUSY GUY.

THANK YOU.

>> APPRECIATE IT.

>> CATHY: AS WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ALL SUMMER AND FALL, CONTROL AT THE CAPITOL IS AT STAKE WITH MANY COMPETITIVE CONTESTS ACROSS THE STATE.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER IS BACK WITH A FINAL ROUND-UP OF HER RACES TO WATCH.

>> THAT IS DIRTY POLITICS.

>> Mary: REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN BRAD CONTINUE STATD IS TRYING TO FEND OFF DEMOCRATIC TEACHER JAKE JOHNSON.

>> IF YOU'RE ONE OF FINSTAD'S CONSTITUENTS RIGHT NOW, HOW DO YOU GET IN CONTACT WITH HIM?

CAN YOU MEET WITH HIM IN PERSON?

THE ANSWER IS NO.

AND IF YOU DO ASK FOR AN IN-PERSON TOWN HALL MEETING, YOU'RE CALLED, HIS WORDS NOW, A PITCHFORK-WIELDING MOB.

CAN YOU CALL HIS OFFICE AND SPEAK TO HIM?

NO.

YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK TO A STAFFER WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO HIS POLICY POSITIONS.

CAN YOU SEND HIM AN EMAIL AND GET A SUFFICIENT RESPONSE?

THENCE IS NO.

AND -- THE ANSWER IS NO.

AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN, CONGRESSMAN FINSTAD HAS CHOSEN TO HIDE FROM THE PUBLIC.

>> YOU KNOW, I'M HAVING ROUNDTABLES, LISTENING SESSIONS, Q&A SESSIONS ALL OVER THE DISTRICT.

IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS ALONE, I'VE HAD HOUSING FORUMS IN WORTHINGTON, I HAVE HAD EMT FORUMS IN OWATONNA, I HAVE HAD FARM PROGRAM FORUMS AND Q&A SESSIONS, LISTENING SESSIONS IN FARIBAULT.

I'M DOING THIS NONSTOP ALL THE TIME.

>> Mary: A POLL FOUND FINISH STATD DOWN 2 PERCENTAGE POINTS IN A DISTRICT WHERE AND HE TRUMP WON BY DOUBLE DIGITS.

GOVERNOR TIM WALZ IS THE LAST DEMOCRAT TO WIN IN THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA REGION.

>> DURING THAT WHOLE TIME, THE ONE THING WE CAN ALL AGREE UPON IS, SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MINDING THE STORE.

>> THE GOVERNOR DID NOT TAKE ACTION NEARLY FAST ENOUGH.

HE'S EVEN SAID THIS HIMSELF.

THAT IT'S HIS FAULT THAT WE DIDN'T TAKE ACTION QUICKLY ENOUGH ON FRAUD.

BUT THE OTHER PROBLEM IS REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE.

>> Mary: RURAL RACES TO WATCH IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE INCLUDE St.

CLOUD DFL INCUMBENT SENATOR ERIC PUTNAM WHO'S BEING CHALLENGED BY CURRENT REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE BERNIE PERRYMAN.

>> YES, THE HOUSE SAT ON IT FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE WERE NOT TALKING ABOUT IT, IT'S BECAUSE WE WERE IN A TOWN.

>> Mary: HERMANTOWN DFL GRANT HAUSCHILD IS TRYING TO BEST BABBITT MAYOR.

>> AN INDEPENDENT GROUP DETERMINED THAT I WAS THE MOST INDEPENDENT SENATORS IN THE LEGISLATURE.

>> MY POSITION RIGHT NOW IS AS A MAYOR, WHICH THIS IS MY TENTH YEAR AS BEING A MAYOR FOR THE TOWN, IT IS BIPARTISAN.

>> OUR GROWING SEASON IS GETTING A WEEK LONGER ON EITHER SIDE, THE SPRING AND THE FALL, AND THAT'S A SIGN OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

THESE HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS, THAT'S A SIGN OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

>> Mary: IS THERE REALLY SOMETHING AT A STATE LEVEL THAT POLICYMAKERS CAN DO ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> I THINK WE NEED TO BE A LEADER IN THE COUNTRY AND MOVE TOWARDS MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY.

>> Mary: IN MOORHEAD, FORMER TV METEOROLOGIST DFL SENATOR ROB PEW PECK IS FACE -- KUPEC IS FACING REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AUSTIN PETERSON.

>> Mary: AND YOU SPOKE OUT DURING THE IMMIGRATION MOVEMENT, YOU SAW SOME I.C.E.

MOVEMENT IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT AFFECTED YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

>> A WROTE A LETTER AND SAID, COULD YOU HELP YOUR OFFICERS BEHAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER, WHAT WE'RE USED TO IN MINNESOTA, REMEMBER THE CONSTITUTION.

I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I TEACH MY KIDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

I WROTE IT VERY POLITELY.

AND I GOT PUSHBACK ON BOTH SIDES.

>> Mary: REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT SEEKING TO SURVIVE INCLUDE LONGTIME JIM ABELER VERSUS ANGELA ANOKA IN ANOKA AND SENATOR BIG LIESKE VERSUS FARMER IN NORTHFIELD.

>> Mary: SEVERAL HOUSE RACES TO WATCH FROM THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE ARE TOP TARGETS ONCE AGAIN AND ALSO REMATCHES, INCLUDING THE CLOSEST CONTEST IN THE ENTIRE LEGISLATURE WITH JUST A 14-VOTE MARGIN.

>> THE REASON WHY WE'RE TAKING THIS UNPRECEDENTED STEP OF DENYING QUORUM HERE IN MINNESOTA, FIRST TIME IN STATE HISTORY -- >> Mary: THE DISPUTED RACE LED TO THE MONTH-LONG STANDOFF AT THE START OF SESSION WITH QUORUM QUESTIONS.

[ AUDIO DIFFICULTY ] >> PEOPLE WANT TO SEE A FUNCTIONING GOVERNMENT.

THEY WANT US TO GET THINGS DONE.

YOU THINK ABOUT CHANHASSEN, PAISLEY PARK, YOU THINK ABOUT CHANHASSEN DINNER THEATER, YOU THINK ABOUT THE ARBORETUM.

>> SERVING YOUR CONSTITUENTS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO DO.

THAT'S WHY I BECAME A PUBLIC TEACHERS, I HAVE A PASSION FOR EDUCATION, I'M A HISTORY TEACHER, SAME THING WITH THE NATIONAL GUARD, I WANT TO SERVE PEOPLE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY DON'T