Franken On Top In Minnesota Senate Race

The Minnesota State Canvassing Board is expected to certify Al Franken (D) as the winner in the Minnesota Senate race today, confirming his defeat of freshman Sen. Norm Coleman (R). Franken holds a 225-vote lead out of about 2.4 million votes.

On Sunday, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said he would ask the Canvassing Board to certify Franken as the winner unless the state Supreme Court acts on a Coleman request to count more ballots.

Coleman will have seven days to challenge the certification; he is expected to do so but his campaign has not said so definitively. Coleman's term of office officially ended on Saturday.

In the U.S. Senate, Republican leadership has stated that they will not allow Franken to be seated "while the race is still in doubt."

See:
:: Minnesota Senate Race Highlights Absentee Ballot Issues
:: Senate Democrats Bungle Filling Vacant Seats
:: How Are Senate Vacancies Filled?