THE DEMOCRATIC Party politician and comedian Al Franken emerged victorious at the weekend from a recount of votes in one of the most hard-fought and protracted US Senate races in history.
Franken’s lawyers said he had won by 225 votes, overturning the 215-vote lead that his Republican opponent and incumbent, Norm Coleman, had following the election on November 4th.
The recount in Minnesota ended on Saturday when election officials counted 933 absentee ballots excluded in error by poll workers. Franken had extended the lead of 49 that he started the day with by a further 176.
Franken’s lawyer Marc Elias told reporters: “We are confident that since there are no ballots left to count, the final margin will stand with Al Franken having won the election by 225 votes.”
The Minnesota state canvassing board, which oversees the ballot process, is scheduled to meet today and to formally declare Franken the winner today or tomorrow.
But Coleman could begin legal action as early as tomorrow calling for a fresh count.
Franken’s win brings the Democratic majority in the 100-seat Senate to 59. He could, theoretically, take his seat tomorrow on a provisional basis when the new Congress gathers for the first time.
But Republicans in the Senate promised to block Franken’s appointment until all legal challenges were resolved.
The Minnesota Senate seat is not the only problematic one. Democratic senators said they would not allow fellow Democrat Roland Burris to take the Illinois seat vacated by Barack Obama because he has been appointed by the disgraced Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
A replacement is also being sought for Hillary Clinton’s New York Senate seat. Caroline Kennedy remains one of the frontrunners, despite a series of unimpressive interviews over the last few weeks. – (Guardian service)