ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Norm Coleman has conceded to Democrat Al Franken in Minnesota’s contested Senate race, ending a nearly eight-month recount and court fight.
Coleman conceded at a news conference in St. Paul, a few hours after a unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court ruled today that Franken, the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian and liberal commentator, should be certified the winner.
A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the earliest Franken would be seated is next week, because the Senate is out of session for the July 4 holiday.
The high court rejected a legal challenge from Coleman, saying Franken is entitled to the election certificate he needs to assume office.
“We affirm the decision of the trial court that 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 court wrote in its 5-0 ruling.
With Franken and the expected usual backing of two independents, Democrats will have a big enough majority to overcome Republican filibusters.
Coleman hasn’t ruled out seeking federal court intervention, and has 10 days before the ruling takes effect in which to point out any errors related to the court’s interpretation of law, facts or material questions in the case.
The earliest Franken would be seated is next week because the Senate is out of session for the July 4 holiday, said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Reid said Pawlenty should respect the votes of his constituents and his state’s highest court.
The election certificate also requires the signature of Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. Ritchie, a Democrat, said he was ready to sign it “as soon as the governor issues it.”
Ritchie said he takes the ruling as a direction to sign the certificate. He said he hasn’t spoken with Pawlenty and wasn’t aware that the governor was out of the state at a conference in Washington.
Pawlenty, a Republican, has said he would sign the certificate if ordered to do so by the court.
Coleman’s appeal hinged largely on whether thousands of absentee votes had been unfairly rejected by local election officials around the state.
The unanimous court wrote that “because the legislature established absentee voting as an optional method of voting, voters choosing to use that method are required to comply with the statutory provisions.”
They went on to say that “because strict compliance with the statutory requirements for absentee voting is, and always has been required, there is no basis on which voters could have reasonably believed that anything less than strict compliance would suffice.”
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