The very first time I ever ran, I didn't win. I didn't win. I didn't go out and try to change the election. I said, whoops, work harder next time, lady.

Last week, a woman named Norma Anderson sat down with my colleague,

reporter Patrick Marley, at her home in a suburb of Denver. with my

and colleague reporter, Anderson is a force in Republican politics in Colorado

and has been for decades.

I mean, you've been a Republican your whole life?

I was born a Republican.

My family was a Republican, raised a Republican.

She is 91 years old, as sharp and as quick as they come.

Norma was born during the Depression.

She remembers what it was like to live through World War II,

and she has been politically active for a long time.

I probably have walked most of this county at one time or another for some candidate or another.

So I just always was active.

She was first elected to the Colorado State House in 1986,

and she served for 19 years in the two chambers

of the state legislature.

She's got some big accomplishments like creating the state's

Department of Transportation and rewriting its school finance program. she's universally described by other Republicans who were

active at the time as a powerful person who could find some deals, work across the aisle, but when she had a position

that she believed in, she would dig in and she would usually win.

You're the first woman to be a majority leader in the House in the Senate.

...