>> ERIC: ONE LAWMAKER HAS MADE HISTORY NOT JUST ONCE BUT TWICE NOW, THANKS TO HER FAMILY CONNECTIONS AT THE CAPITOL.

MARY LAHAMMER HAS A UNIQUE LOOK AT TWO LAWMAKERS FROM TWO DIFFERENT CHAMBERS WHO DECIDED TO JOIN FORCES WALKING DOWN A DIFFERENT AISLE TOGETHER.

>> I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO BE SERVING IN THIS PLACE TOGETHER.

>> I KNOW, I KNOW.

>> Mary: ALMOST A DECADE AGO, THEN REPRESENTATIVE MARION O'NEILL MADE HISTORY AS PART OF THE FIRST BROTHER/SISTER DUO IN THE LEGISLATURE.

>> IF SHE WOULDN'T HAVE PUSHED ME THAT HARD, I WOULD HAVE NEVER -- I WOULD NOT BE STANDING HERE TODAY.

>> I THINK ABOUT WHAT MY BROTHER DID, OVERCAME THE BRAIN TUMOR AND PARTIAL PARALYSIS AND IF HE CAN WIN WITH WHAT HE HAD TO OVERCOME, I'M JUST SO PROUD OF HIM.

I WAS TOLD BY SO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING IN MY OWN LEADERSHIP, DON'T SPEND YOUR TIME THERE, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA WIN.

I'M LIKE, LISTEN, DON'T TELL TWO DANIELS THAT WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING, WE'RE NOT GOING TO WIN, BECAUSE IT JUST MADE US WORK HARDER.

AND HE DID WIN AND HE FLIPPED A TEN-YEAR DFL INCUMBENT.

>> Mary: NOW THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM MAPLE LAKE HAS A NEW NAME AND SPOUSE.

>> ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, SENATOR RARICK AND I GOT MARRIED AND I CHANGED MY NAME TO RARICK.

SO NOW I AM REPRESENTATIVE RARICK.

IT WAS AMAZING AND EXCITING.

>> BRIAN AND I CAME IN TOGETHER IN 2014 ELECTION, KIND OF WHERE WE HAD THAT MOVE, KIND OF THAT RURAL SWING.

>> Mary: WE FIRST MET SENATOR RARICK ALSO A DECADE AGO ON THE HOUSE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WHEN THE ELECTRICIAN TRIED WHAT WAS A UNIQUE APPROACH TO CAMPAIGN FOR UNION VOTES IN MINNESOTA.

>> I WOULD BE AT REPUBLICAN EVENTS AND SAY I'M THE ONLY REPUBLICAN WHO'S A UNION MEMBER.

I'D BE AT UNYAO THINGS AND SAY, 'M THE ONLY UNION GUY WHO'S IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

AND I'D HAVE PEOPLE PULLING ME TO THE SIDE, OH, NO, I'M A REPUBLICAN, TOO, OR, HEY, I'M IN THE UP, TOO.

>> Mary: THE ISSUE OF MARRIAGE WAS FRONT AND CENTER THEN.

>> THAT IS THE ONE ISSUE THAT HAS REALLY UPSET A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE AREA.

>> Mary: AND ARE YOU AGAINST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE?

>> I'M OPPOSED TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, BUT I WOULD BE FOR SOMETHING LIKE A CIVIL UNION.

>> Mary: HAVE YOU CHANGED OR EVOLVED AT ALL FROM YOUR STANCE ON THAT?

>> YOU KNOW, NO, I STILL BELIEVE KIND OF THE SAME THING.

>> IT'S LAW NOW.

IT'S VERY -- IT'S A VERY PASSIONATE THING.

>> Mary: YOU MIGHT SAY THE RARICKS SHARE A SIMILAR APPROACH TO LAWMAKING, THEY'RE BOTH NOT AFRAID TO DIVE IN AND DO THE HARD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES, EVEN REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE, WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR CONSERVATIVE CREDENTIALS.

>> I WOULD RATHER BE KNOWN AS THE PERSON THAT DOVE IN AND MADE THE BILL BETTER.

IF YOU WATCH ME IN COMMITTEE, EVERY SINGLE COMMITTEE HEARING, I'M ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS, I'M POINTING THINGS OUT THAT MIGHT BE PROBLEMATIC AND I'M LISTENED TO.

AND THINGS CHANGE.

SO, THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO LIVE.

>> Mary: I THINK OF HIGHER ED, TOO, AN ISSUE THAT YOU BOTH HAVE WORKED ON BUT THAT YOU'VE LED WITH AND REALLY HAD SOME BIPARTISAN COALITIONS IN THE SENATE.

DO YOU THINK THAT'S A LITTLE LET POLITICIZED BECAUSE OF THAT?

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBABLY TWO OR THREE COMMITTEE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF GET RID OF THAT POLITICAL LEAN AND TRY TO GET AT WHAT THE NEEDS REALLY ARE AND GET BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

>> MY TRACK OF MANY YEARS OF REFORMING OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT LEGISLATION, SO A 13-YEAR-OLD COULD ACTUALLY GET JUSTICE.

SHE STILL TO THIS DAY DOESN'T HAVE JUSTICE.

>> Mary: THAT BUILT BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Mary: THE PAIR MET AT A POLITICAL PARADE WHICH SEEMS APPROPRIATE.

>> I GRABBED A BUNCH OF HER SIGNS, WHERE'S A BATTERY DRILL, WE PUT UP A BUNCH OF HER SIGNS ON THE FLOAT.

>> Mary: USED HIS HANDY SKILLS.

>> I DID.

OH, YOU'RE MY HERO.

>> Mary: HAVE YOU DISAGREED ON POLITICS OR POLICY?

>> OH, YEAH.

>> Mary: GIVE ME ONE, WHAT HAVE YOU DISAGREED ON?

>> THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING MAJOR.

>> Mary: THEY'RE NOT THE FIRST HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM IN THE LEGISLATURE BUT THEY ARE THE LATEST.

>> E'RE ACTUALLY LOSING GOOD CANDIDATES BECAUSE THEY SEE THE ATTACKS THAT HAPPEN TO THEIR FAMILIES WHEN THEY'RE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

>> Mary: YOUR CAUCUS DIDN'T BRING A SINGLE NEW WOMAN.

>> RIGHT.

>> Mary: THIS LAST ELECTION CYCLE.

>> WE RECRUITED A NUMBER.

AND IN THE END, THEY WERE JUST LIKE, NO, I CAN'T DO THIS.

AND MANY OF THEM, WERE, I CAN'T DO IT TO MY FAMILY.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF CHALLENGE PEOPLE ON THE FAR EXTREME OF OUR PARTY AND THE FAR EXTREME OF THE OTHER PARTY W WHEN WE RUN THESE ADS, LET'S BE RESPECTFUL OF THE CANDIDATE AND THEIR FAMILIES BECAUSE WE'RE DRIVING GOOD CANDIDATES FROM BOTH PARTIES AWAY FROM THAT WILLINGNESS TO RUN.

>> Mary: THE RARICKS PLAN TO MAINTAIN SEPARATE RESIDENCES IN THEIR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, BUT HOPE THEIR PARTY CAN FIND MORE SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE AS THEY DID IN EACH OTHER.

WHAT DO REPUBLICANS HAVE TO DO TO GET TRACTION STATEWIDE AND START WINNING AGAIN?

>> NEED TO GET PEOPLE TO SEE US KIND OF AS PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT IN THESE LAST FEW GO-AROUNDS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO FIND SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY, THAT JUST A NORMAL PERSON THAT PEOPLE IN THE SUBURBS, PEOPLE IN RURAL AREA AND PEOPLE IN THE URBAN CAN ALL LOOK AT AND SAY, I CAN CONNECT WITH THAT PERSON.

>> Mary: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR PARTY?

>> I'M A CONSERVATIVE WOMAN, WOMAN OF FAITH, AND WE'VE KIND OF OVERLOOKED SOME OF THE WOMEN, THE MOMS, THE SOCCER MOMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUBURBS.

AND WE NEED TO RESONATE BETTER WITH THEM.

>> Mary: DO YOU THINK THE CHAMBERS COULD FLIP AGAIN?

DO YOU THINK THAT THEY'RE IN CONTENTION?

>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REAL CLOSE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT IT THIS YEAR, A COUPLE SEATS, YOU KNOW, AWFULLY CLOSE.

I JUST THINK IT'S GOING O STAY THAT WAY FOR QUITE A WHILE IN MINNESOTA.

>> Mary: HOW ABOUT THE HOUSE, WHAT DO YOU T