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.
Coleman May Choose Not to Take Election to Federal Courts
Jun 04, 2009
Interesting article today in Roll Call about the race for Minnesota's second seat, and Coleman's desire - or lack of - to continue appealing the decisions that have all come in favor of Al Franken.
From Roll Call,
"Sources close to Coleman say the former Senator would likely give up his legal battle and accept defeat if the Minnesota Supreme Court decides in Franken’s favor. That’s because Coleman anticipates that Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) would ultimately sign Franken’s certification papers...
Still, sources say Coleman, who is vying for a second term, does not have the same appetite to pursue his case in federal court as he did for his state court battle.
'He will be done' if he loses at the state Supreme Court, one Republican predicted."
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.
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.
Two Democratic Polls Show Council Candidates with 5 Point Leads
Oct 06, 2008
Eric Massa
Two polls out today show Council endorsed candidates with solid leads in Minnesota and New York.
The New York poll:
Eric Massa (D): 47
Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-inc): 42
(MoE: ±4.9%)
Massa nearly won against Kuhl with little support from outside the district in 2006. This year he is receiving significant support from the national party, and Kuhl is not running a vigorous campaign. In fact, Kuhl is currently refusing to debate Massa. When an incumbent refuses to debate, that's a sure sign their campaign is in trouble.
Learn more about Eric Massa here.
The Minnesota poll:
Ashwin Madia (D): 44
Erik Paulsen (R): 39
David Dillon (IP): 8
(MoE: ±4.9%)
This is an open-seat race to replace retiring Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad. Madia argues that his positions are actually closer to the moderate Ramstad's than the hyper-conservative Paulsen's are. Paulsen has charged that Madia, the 30 year old son of Indian immigrants who also served in Iraq, does not have the "suburban life experience" needed to properly represent Minnesotans. Whatever that means.