THANKS A LOT.

WE'LL CHECK IN WITH DEENA AGAIN ALONG THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

STATE IS ON PACE NOW TO BREAK THE RECORD FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS IN ONE YEAR IN AN INCREDIBLY VOLATILE POLITICAL YEAR.

POLITICAL REPORTER ARY LAHAMMER HAS BEEN DIGGING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS, TALKED WITH CURRENT AND FORMER REPUBLICAN SENATE LEADERS AFTER THE LOSS OF ANOTHER SENATE.

>> I DO.

>> CONGRATULATIONS.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> SO MANY SPECIAL ELECTIONS BROUGHT NEW MEMBERS INTO THE LEGISLATURE ALL SESSION LONG.

>> WOULD YOU PLEASE WELCOME REPRESENTATIVE GOT FREED.

>> WITH THE CONVICTION OF SENATOR NICOLE MITCHELL AND HER RESIGNATION ALONG WITH THE DEATH OF SENATOR BRUCE ANDERSON, THAT ADDS TWO MORE SPECIAL ELECTIONS JUST IN THE SENATE.

>> I FIRST MET BRUCE WHEN I WAS A VOLUNTEER SECRETARY FOR OUR LOCAL BPOU AND WENT TO BREAKFAST AT PERKINS WITH REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON, HE WAS IN THE HOUSE AT THE TIME, AND I WAS JUST SO STARSTRUCK.

HE AND DOTTIE HIS FIRST WIFE WERE SO INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING ME ELECTED, THEY TAUGHT ME THE ROPES, HELPED ME DOORKNOCK, HELPED ME PHONE CALL.

I REALLY OWE THEM.

AND I THINK WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS WRIGHT COUNTY IS SUCH A DARK RED DISTRICT NOW, EVERYBODY ASSUMES THAT'S HOW WRIGHT COUNTY IS, IT WAS NOT.

BRUCE ANDERSON, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IT WAS ABLUE, IT WAS A BLUE HOUSE MEMBER, DEMOCRAT NOVEMBER >> HE'S KIND OF CREDITED WITH CHANGING IT.

>> HE 1000% DESERVES IT, IT CHANGED WITH BRUCE AND A FEW OTHERS.

>> HIS COMMITMENT TO THE SERVICE WHETHER IT WAS THE ARMY OR AIR FORCE, STATE LEGISLATURE SERVED IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE.

>> AND HONESTLY HE WAS NEVER A PROBLEM FOR YOU, WASN'T HE ONE OF THE EASIER MEMBERS YOU COULD HAVE IN YOUR CAUCUS?

>> HE WAS ONE WHO WOULD COME WITH IDEAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE IDEAS THAT HE HAD BUT HOW CAN WE GET THOSE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

AND SO DID IT IN A WAY THAT DIDN'T CAUSE DRAMA.

>> A SOLICITING CHARGE AND RESIDENCY CHALLENGE ARE SCANDALS THAT ROCKED BOTH PARTIES AND BOTH CHAMBERS AHEAD OF MORE SPECIAL ELECTIONS.

>> SO WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO SENATE SEATS THAT MIGHT NOT BE SUPER COMPETITIVE IN A SPECIAL.

>> I THINK SO.

THE ONLY, SO, ONE, NEVER COUNT ON A SPECIAL.

I WAS ELECTED IN A SPECIAL.

NOW, I WON BUT I ONLY WON 52% WHICH ALWAYS BUGGED ME.

BUT ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.

SO AND THEN IN WOODBURY NICOLE MITCHELL'S GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT AND I'M SURE THE DEMOCRATS VERY SMARTLY ARE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE THIS ABOUT TRUMP.

>> DO YOU THINK THEY'RE BOTH STILL COMPETITIVE TODAY OR NOT?

>> WELL, I DON'T THINK THINK SENATOR ANDERSON'S DISTRICT, HE HAS DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB OF EXEMPLIFYING CONSERVATIVE IDEALS FOR REPUBLICANS IN THAT DISTRICT AND I THINK HE'S REALLY TAKEN THAT OFF THE PLATE.

I THINK WHAT SENATOR MITCHELL HAS DONE OVER IN THE WOODBURY DISTRICT HAS DAMAGED THE DEMOCRAT BRAND AND BROUGHT TO LIGHT WHAT THAT STANDS FOR AND GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE HERE ARE THE REPUBLICAN PRINCIPLES.

WE'RE GOING TO BE PLAYING BIG IN BOTH AREAS.

>> THE HOUSE HAS A SPECIAL ELECTION SCHEDULED IN THE SAFE D.F.L.

SEAT TO REPLACE SPEAKER EMERITA MELISSA HORTMAN AFTER HER SHOCKING ASSASSINATION.

THE SENATE STARTED SESSION TIED AND DOWN A MEMBER AFTER THE PASSING OF FORMER MAJORITY LEADER KARI DZIEDZIC.

IT ALL FEELS UNREAL TO EVERYONE AT THE CAPITOL.

>> IT'S UNPRECEDENTED AND, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN I RAN IN MY SPECIAL THERE WERE TWO OTHERS SO THERE WERE THREE OF US AT THE SAME TIME.

LIKE PEOPLE WERE JUST LIKE, OH, THERE'S SO MANY SPECIAL SESSION -- OR SPECIAL ELECTIONS.

THIS IS JUST, I MEAN, WE'RE AT DOUBLE THAT.

>> SCANNING STATE HISTORY ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1849, ONLY ONE YEAR IN INNESOTA HISTORY HAD AS MANY SPECIAL ELECTIONS AS EXPECTED THIS YEAR.

THE NUMBER IS SIX AND THE YEAR WAS 1994 WHEN SEVERAL STATE LAWMAKERS ELEVATED TO HIGHER OFFICE, INCLUDING JOANN BENSON FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND BILL LUTHER TO CONGRESS.

>> THERE'S NO QUESTION IT WAS A VOLATILE SITUATION.

>> SENATOR OMAR FATEH JUST WON THE D.F.L.

ENDORSEMENT FOR MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR.

IF HE'S LECTED THAT COULD TRIGGER A RECORD-BREAKING SEVENTH SPECIAL ELECTION IN ONE YEAR.

>> GOT TWO SOCIALISTS HERE WHO ARE FRONTRUNNERS TO BE MAYORS OF MAJOR CITIES, IS THIS THE FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATS?

>> I THINK IT REALLY SHOWS THE SLANT OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY RIGHT NOW.

IT'S MOVING FURTHER AND FURTHER LEFT AND DISTRICTS LIKE WOODBURY I THINK MOST OF THE POPULATION THERE WOULD NOT AGREE WITH THE POLITICS OF MINNEAPOLIS OR OMAR FATEH.

>> MORE FRAUD HAS COME TO LIGHT.

IS THAT GOING TO BE PART OF THE MESSAGING TOO IN THESE SPECIAL ELECTIONS?

>> ABSOLUTELY, IT'S TIME FOR THIS TO END.

AFTER THE TRIFECTA THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE STATE AND THE WAY THAT THOSE AGENCIES ND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE REALLY PUSHED FORWARD THIS FRAUDS, LET'S TAKE A NEW APPROACH, WE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HOLDING OUR ELECTEDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF KNOWN FRAUD IN THE STATE, HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?

>> YOU DID SEE A TIE ALREADY THIS SESSION, YOU GOT TO COLEAD.

COULD THESE SPECIALS PUT YOU IN THE MAJORITY?

>> WELL, THEY ABSOLUTELY COULD.

>> WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN THERE?

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY JULY, MARY.

IT'S ONLY JULY.

>> AND DEPENDING HOW MANY HOUSE MEMBERS IN A CLOSELY DIED CHAMBER DECIDE -- DECIDE TO RUN FOR THE TWO OPEN SENATE SEATS THAT COULD TRIGGER AN EIGHTH AND NINTH SPECIAL ELECTION, SHATTERING ALL PREVIOUS RECORDS.

>> WOULD YOU RECOMMEND A HOUSE MEMBER FOR THE SENATE SEAT, ANY OF THOSE?

>> I THINK THEY SHOULD LOOK AT IT.

YOU'VE GOT THE NAME, YOU'VE GOT THE FUND-RAISING, MOVE CAMPAIGN FROM THE HOUSE TO SENATE, MOVE OVER CAMPAIGN FUNDS.

>> LET'S NOT GO DOWN QUITE YET, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THESE BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, THERE COULD BE MORE.

>> IN THE END EVERYONE IN POLITICS SEEMS READY FOR IT ALL TO SLOW DOWN.

>> I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE QUIETER.

I WOULD LIKE THE NORMAL PATTERN OF THESE SPECIALS TO PLAY OUT.

I WOULD LIKE TO END THE YEAR A LITTLE QUIETER THAN WE HAVE BEEN JUST FOR EVERYONE.

THERE'S BEEN TREMENDOUS LOSS.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SADNESS.

>> THIS YEAR HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLE.

>> I THINK WE COULD TURN THE CALENDAR, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR THAT AT THIS POINT AND JUST HAVE A NORMAL YEAR AN