>> Cathy: ALL 201 LEGISLATIVE SEATS ARE UP FOR ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER AND OUR POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS BEEN TRACKING THE MOST COMPETITIVE AND INTERESTING RACES TO WATCH.

THIS TIME OUR CREW WENT ON THE ROAD AFTER THE RETIREMENT OF A HIGH-PROFILE SENATOR IN ROCHESTER.

>> ROCHESTER, SENATE DISTRICT 24, IS AN OPEN SEAT THAT HAD BEEN HELD BY POPULAR INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN KARLA NELSON.

HER RETIREMENT MAKES THIS A RACE TO WATCH AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS TO PICK UP A SEAT.

>> MY NAME IS SIMON GLASER, RUNNING FOR MINNESOTA STATE SENATE.

>> SIMON GLASER IS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND HAS BEEN A UNION REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S BEEN A STRONG FUNDRAISER, GETTING IN EARLY IN THIS RACE.

>> I MENTOR A LOT OF THE YOUNGER TEACHERS AND I'M STARTING TO NOTICE THEIR LIFE IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM MINE WAS 30 YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED.

THEY'RE MAKING ALL KINDS OF DECISIONS I NEVER HAD TO MAKE.

THEY'RE THINKING SHOULD THEY'RE THINKING SH THINKING EVA FAMILY, SHOULD I BUY A HOUSE.

I'M NOT A COMMUNIST, I'M NOT ANYTHING RADICAL.

>> I'D LIKE TO LOWER OUR TAXES.

>> TAXES DEFINITELY SHOULD AND THERE SHOULD BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY.

>> MY NAME IS ELS PIERSON, I'VE MADE A HABIT OF RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN OLMSTED COUNTY, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE UP AND RUNNING FOR THE MINNESOTA STATE SENATE.

>> REPUBLICAN NELS PIERSON REPRESENTED ROCHESTER IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE BEFORE, NOW AS A BUSINESS OWNER HE'S READY TO RETURN TO THE CAPITOL.

>> SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CALLED TO AS FAR AS UBLIC SERVICE AND THIS SPECIFIC RACE, THIS SPECIFIC SEAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK I'M WELL SUITED TO REPRESENT BECAUSE OF MY HISTORY AND MY BACKGROUND.

>> HOW MUCH OF THIS IS YOUR OLD HOUSE DISTRICT?

>> ABOUT 38% OF THE VOTERS FROM MY OLD HOUSE DISTRICT ARE ACTUALLY IN THIS SENATE DISTRICT.

>> CARING ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE IN GOOD STANDING WITH THEM.

>> LAST TIME THE STATE SENATE SEAT WAS UP POPULAR INCUMBENT KARLA NELSON WON BY 15 PERCENTAGE POINTS.

BUT TWO YEARS AGO THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE WAS JUST A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS APART.

AND NOW THAT IT'S AN OPEN SEAT IT COULD BE VERY COMPETITIVE.

>> IT WASN'T OPEN WHEN I GOT INTO IT.

I FULLY INTENDED TO RUN AGAINST THE INCUMBENT.

SHE'S A WOMAN I WORKED WITH MANY TIMES AGAIN THROUGH THE TEACHERS' UNION AND SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY NICE TO US AND ASKED REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS AND THEN VOTED AGAINST US EVERY SINGLE TIME.

AND THAT WAS PART F THE REASON I DECIDED TO RUN.

>> BUT EVERYTHING CHANGES WHEN SHE RETIRES DOESN'T IT?

>> IT DID, YEAH, ALTHOUGH I GOT TO SAY I WAS PLANNING ON WINNING THE SEAT FROM THE BEGINNING.

I KNEW THIS WAS THE YEAR TO DO IT, I KNOW THAT THIS AREA IS CHANGING IN IN WAYS, I KNOW THE ISSUES ARE CHANGING, NATIONAL POLITICS CAST A LONG SHADOW.

PEOPLE ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALWAYS VOTED REPUBLICAN THAT I'M MEETING THEM AT THEIR DOORS THAT ARE SAYING I'VE ALWAYS VOTED REPUBLICAN, I'M WILLING TO LISTEN NOW.

>> I RAN 10 POINTS BEHIND, WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON GETTING TO THE DOORS, WE'VE HAD A SHORTER WINDOW, FLIGHT PATTERN BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE RIDING A BIKE.

I'VE GOT THE SAME SIGNS ON 16TH STREET I HAD IN 2016, I ALREADY OWN THE DOMAIN NELS.COM, THAT'S A REALLY NICE ADDED BONUS, I DIDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE SOMETHING FROM NELS FOR HOUSE OR TO SENATE.

THE COMMUNITY HAS A LOT OF INDEPENDENT VOTERS.

>> THE TOP ISSUES OF AFFORDABILITY AND HEALTH CARE HIT DIFFERENTLY IN A PLACE THAT INCLUDES A PORTION OF ROCHESTER AND THE WORLD FAMOUS MAYO CLINIC, BUT MUCH OF THE DISTRICT IS RURAL.

>> WE LIVE IN THE WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN A CITY THAT IS NUMBER ONE IN HEALTH CARE AND WE CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE HEALTH CARE OUT.

RIGHT NOW IT'S FARMERS IN DODGE COUNTY STRUGGLING THE MOST.

SO MANY WERE ON THE OPEN MARKET WHEN THOSE PREMIUMS SHOT THROUGH THE ROOF A COUPLE MONTHS AGO THEY'RE GOING WITHOUT INSURANCE.

HEALTH CARE I THINK IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABILITY.

IT'S ALSO HOUSING IN ROCHESTER AND WE HAVE A OUSING SHORTAGE.

>> I WAS THERE WHEN WE WERE STILL WORKING ON DMC, KNOWING THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THE STATE INVOLVEMENT AND OUR PARTICIPATION AND WHAT TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT WE HAVE DOWN HERE IN ROCHESTER WITH THE DMC BOARD EVERYTHING ELSE.

REMARKABLE GROWTH AND GREAT PARTNERSHIP, WE'RE A SHINING BEACON NOT ONLY IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA BUT IN THE COUNTRY AS FAR AS HEALTH CARE GOES BUT WITH THAT COMES, YOU KNOW, HIGH DEMAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I'VE BEEN A REALTOR HERE IN ROCHESTER FOR 17 YEARS SO I HAVE THAT IN MY BACKGROUND, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES.

>> I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY, NUMBER ONE.

>> YEAH.

WELL, WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND DO THAT TOO.

>> TAKE CARE OF OUR FELLOW MAN, NUMBER TWO, AND WOMAN.

>> IMMIGRATION ALSO HAS AN IMPACT HERE WITH AN INCREASINGLY DIVERSE POPULATION IN A REGION THAT'S CONSISTENTLY GROWING.

>> WHAT DO WE WANT?

ICE OUT!

>> WE DID SEE IN SCHOOLS INCREDIBLE DROP IN ATTENDANCE.

WE HAVE 500 STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT STOPPED SHOWING UP, SOME OF THEM NEVER CAME BACK.

IT WAS HARD.

IT WAS DIFFICULT AND LISTEN, WE AS A COUNTRY WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS BUT I JUST THINK THERE'S A WAY TO DO T WITHOUT A MILITARY FORCE.

THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT WITHOUT TERRORIZING PEOPLE AND PUNISHING CITIZENS AND NONCITIZENS ALIKE.

>> MYSELF I'VE ADOPTED TWO SONS FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN OF CONGO, SO KNOWING HOW DIFFICULT THE LEGAL IMMIGRATION PROCESS IS AND KNOWING WHAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE TO WAIT IN LINE TO BECOME CITIZENS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THEN JUST LETTING PEOPLE CROSS THE BORDER FOR DECADE OR MORE.

I DON'T BLAME PEOPLE FOR TRYING TO FIND A BETTER WAY OF LIFE, IN FACT, IF I WERE SIMILAR SITUATED I'D PROBABLY TRY TO DO THE SAME THING.

THE FRAUD AND SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE TRIFECTA GOVERNMENT THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH HISTORICALLY IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, SOME OF THOSE THINGS, THOSE THINGS GOING UNCHECKED FOR SO LONG THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING AT THE DOOR.

APPRECIATE ALL THE SERVICE THAT