Franken to Be Declared Winner Today

But GOP vows to fight on

By Peter Fearon, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 5, 2009 3:21 AM CST

Copied

Franken to Be Declared Winner Today — Al Franken will be declared the winner of the Minnesota's Senate race recount but Republicans will oppose his being seated until a court battle over the count is over. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

Funnyman-about to-turn-Sen. Al Franken is expected to be officially declared the winner of the marathon recount in the US Senate race in Minnesota today—but don't expect incumbent Norm Coleman to quietly accept the decision. His campaign will challenge the result in court, and Senate Republicans will oppose Franken being seated in the Senate, said GOP officials. The state canvassing board will announce Franken won by 225 votes, reports CNN.

Coleman claims 100 votes were counted twice, and 650 absentee ballots were incorrectly rejected. Senate Democrats say Franken won fair and square. "Even if all the ballots Coleman claims were double-counted or erroneously added were resolved in his favor, he still wouldn't have enough votes to win," said Senate Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer.

(More Al Franken stories.)

Report an error