Sen. Al Franken Thanks CLW Supporters
Sep 16, 2009
Senator Al Franken recently thanked Council for a Livable World supporters for their generous support for this campaign. With more than $120,000 in contributions, Council members provided a significant boost to his hard-fought race, which was decided by just over 300 votes.
Read a portion of his thank you here. Full text after the jump.
"I want to thank my supporters from Council for a Livable World for believing in me. You were early supporters for my candidacy for the United States Senate, giving me crucial support when few others would.
In July, Vice President Joe Biden swore me into office as the new Senator from Minnesota. Standing there, I was so grateful for the many dedicated supporters who made that moment possible.
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Council for a Livable World and its members for your generous support both during the election and throughout the long legal battles that followed...
Supreme Court Rules for Franken! Coleman Concedes
Jun 30, 2009
Well it's official - after eight long months, and many millions of dollars, Al Franken will be now be seated as the next Senator from Minnesota.
Granted, yes, it could have been "official" when the vote was tallied, when the state canvassing board ruled in Franken's favor, or when the panel of three Minnesota judges agreed, but today the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously sided with Franken and declared him the winner - and Coleman has conceded.
"Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled [under Minnesota law] to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota."
The eight month battle came to an end with this ruling, and as promised, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has vowed to sign Franken's election certificate, the last remaining legal hurdle to his victory.
Sen. Al Franken will now become the 60th U.S. Senator to caucus with Senate Democrats, a filibuster-proof majority that just a year ago seemed far too unlikely by even the most optimistic of political pundits.
Council for a Livable World - and its membership - contributed more than $120,000 to Franken's race.
The Other Minnesota Senator
May 20, 2009
Interesting article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today related to the Minnesota Senate recount on a topic that hadn’t really crossed my – and I expect others’ – mind: the effect the delay is having on Minnesota’s other Senator, Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
While most attention to the effects of the recount has been focused on Franken and Coleman, Klobuchar has been handling the workload of both Senate seats. She inherited 400 constituent cases from outgoing Sen. Coleman, has seen twice as many constituent requests as usual, and receives 30% more requests for meetings with advocacy groups and lobbyists.
In other Minnesota recount news, a new poll found that 54% of Minnesotans think Coleman needs to concede.
The state Supreme Court holds its hearing on the contest June 1, but Coleman could begin yet another delay if he decides to take the case to federal court.
Minnesota board declared Franken the winner!
Apr 30, 2009
Al Franken
Last week, a panel of three Minnesota judges agreed that Democrat Al Franken defeated Republican Norm Coleman. This race was too close to call after the November election with only 200 of more than 2 million ballots separating the two candidates. However, through a lengthy and costly legal battle, more than $12 million in fees, it has been determined that Al Franken won with a margin of 312 votes. Despite this declaration, Coleman is continuing to contest the election results.
Norm Coleman has delayed seating Al Franken in the US Senate for almost four months. It is time to end this process and accept the will of the Minnesota voters which support immediately seating Franken by 64%.
With Arlen Spector’s recent party shift, Coleman’s appeal will place additional political pressure on Minnesota’s Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty which is already coming from both sides of the aisle. However, the choice is simple; Al Franken won the election and should be seated now.
Canvassing Board to Announce Winner in Franken Race
Jan 05, 2009
Today the Minnesota canvassing board is set to certify the state's election recount results - which found Al Franken victorious over incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman by 225 votes. A victory for sure for progressive and Council-endorsed Franken, but the race is not yet over.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a seven day waiting period will follow before the election is complete. This process can be further delayed by any lawsuits, and Coleman has not yet ruled them out. Additionally, the Coleman campaign already has a petition before the Minnesota Supreme Court to count 650 rejected ballots.
We'll continue to keep you updated with these race results, but you can also find the latest information on the website for the Star Tribune.
Battle for Minnesota Senate seat continues
Dec 29, 2008
Anyone wondering if there was significant progress made in the ongoing ballot recount for the Minnesota Senate race between Al Franken and incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman over the holiday "break" may be disappointed to know that it still is far from over. The primary remaining obstacle? Whether or not to count 1,346 "improperly" rejected absentee ballots.
Each campaign's lawyers met today at the office of Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie in an effort to come to an agreement over whether or not the ballots should be counted. Franken's camp wants to count all 1,346, but Coleman so far has only agreed to 136 and made a promise to accept more.
The ballots are yet unopened, but numerous reports indicate that the list "includes ballots from precincts leaning Democratic."
Without these ballots, Franken has a razor-thin lead – just 46 votes – over Coleman.
Update on Franken Race
Nov 20, 2008
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UPDATE: Huffington Post reports that a recent political study shows that if unrecorded ballots are counted, Al Franken is highly likely to win. -------------------------------
We've been following two still-undecided Senate races closely (we've endorsed the challengers in both races, and our supporters have raised thousands for them): Jim Martin in Georgia (challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss) and Al Franken in Minnesota (challenging Rebublican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman). Martin's race is headed for a run-off ending December 2, while Franken's race is likely headed to the courts as the state does a full re-count of all ballots. Currently, Norm Coleman is up by a mere 206 votes, and many predict that the recount will prove more ballots cast for Franken. With a race so close and a chance that Franken could indeed prove the winner, the former comedian is headed to Washington, D.C. to prepare for a possible win.
According to Minnesota's Start Tribune, Al Franken will meet this week with Senate Democrat leaders to fully brief them on the recount and the process and to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda. "If he should win this election, it would be irresponsible for him not to get ready to take office," said Franken spokeswoman Colleen Murray. "Minnesota deserves a senator who is ready to take office on Day One."