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• Norm Coleman is the senior senator from the state of Minnesota. First elected to the Senate in 2002, Coleman was challenged by former Saturday Night Live writer and comedian Al Franken in the November 2008 general election. The official results of the election showed incumbent Coleman defeating Franken by only 221 votes. Since less than a 1% margin separated the two candidates, a recount was ordered, followed by a three month trial in which Franken was declared the winner by 312 votes in a county court.Associated Press: Minn. court orders Coleman to pay $95K to Franken

  On June 10, 2009, with the Minnesota Supreme Court having yet to rule on the outcome of the election, the Ramsey County court ordered Coleman to pay Franken $94,783 in court costs.Associated Press: Minn. court orders Coleman to pay $95K to Franken

• Fast Facts

  1. Born: August 17, 1949
  2. Birth place: Brooklyn, New York
  3. Spouse: Laurie Coleman
  4. Party: Republican
  5. Joined the U.S. Senate: January 7, 2003
  6. Pro-life and against legalization of marijuanaOfficial Site: Norm Coleman
  7. Opposes same sex marriages and adoptions by same sex partnersOfficial Site: Norm Coleman
  8. Faced Al Franken in the 2008 general electionThe Associated Press: Franken, Coleman Look to November (September 10, 2008)
  9. Election results delayed by contentious recountCNN: Senate GOP prepared to fight if Dems try to seat Franken (January 3, 2008)
  10. Election results must be certified by state canvassing board and signed off on by Republican Governor Tim PawlentyCNN: Senate GOP prepared to fight if Dems try to seat Franken (January 3, 2008)
  11. New Senate session starts January 6, 2009CNN: Senate GOP prepared to fight if Dems try to seat Franken (January 3, 2008)

• Recount

  After weeks of ballot dispute, on December 16, 2008, the Minnesota state canvassing board began their final examination of the remaining 1,500 ballots by hand. As the inspection began, Coleman led challenger Franken by 188 votes.Star Tribune: The recount: Board reviewing challenged ballots (December 16, 2008)

  As of December 22, 2008, Franken led over Coleman by 48 votes out of 2.9 million votes cast. The preliminary result was based on the final votes in a review of challenged votes and were to be formally awarded on December 23.West Central Tribune: Franken poised to keep slight vote edge (December 22, 2008)However, the Supreme Court ruled that an estimated 1,600 originally rejected absentee ballots had to be included in the count before a deadline of December 31, 2008 and the state Canvassing Board had yet to decide whether hundreds of challenged ballots would be included in the count. The recount stretched into 2009, leading Governor Tim Pawlenty to investigate the possibility of appointing a temporary Senator if an official count was not reached prior to the reconvening of Congress on January 6, 2009.FOX News: Franken Takes Lead in Minnesota Recount for the First Time (December 19, 2008) Republicans vowed legal actions if Democrats attempted to seat Franken before the election results were finalized.CNN: Tense moments as Coleman camp seeks to stop recount (January 3, 2009)

  On January 6, 2009, Coleman announced a legal challenge of the recount results.MinnPost.com: Norm Coleman formally announces he's contesting Senate election (January 6, 2009) Coleman's campaign planned to challenge the decision based on over 600 absentee ballots they say were wrongly rejected. The margin of Franken's reported lead was only 215 votes.CNN: Panel to declare Franken winner... (January 4, 2009) MinnPost.com: Norm Coleman formally announces he's contesting Senate election (January 6, 2009)

  On January 4, 2009, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced that the Minnesota state election board would pronounce Franken as the winner. Two days later, Coleman officially announced he was filing a challenge to the recount decision.

  On April 7, 2009, several hundred previously disputed Minnesota absentee ballots were finally counted. State elections director Gary Poser read the votes out loud to a packed courtroom, revealing a lead of 312 votes in Franken's favor. The three-judge panel overseeing the matter were expected to announce a ruling in his favor in the coming days.Minneapolis Star Tribune: With more ballots counted, Franken extends lead (April 7, 2009)

  After months of vote-counting, on April 14, 2009 a three panel judge handed down the decision that Al Franken had won the election. Coleman spokesman Ben Ginsberg said that Coleman would appeal the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court in the next week.Star Tribune: Spokesman says Coleman will appeal ruling, probably next week (April 14, 2009)

  On April 15, 2009, the Democratic National Committee released a radio ad calling on Coleman to halt his fight for the Senate following the decision by a three-judge panel on April 14, 2009, that Franken had won the election. Coleman is expected to appeal the panel's decision.Star Tribune: Dems air ad calling on Coleman to quit

• FBI Investigation

  In December of 2008, it was reported that the FBI was investigating allegations that Coleman friend and supporter Nasser Kazeminy tried to steer at least $100,000 to Coleman. Both parties have denied any wrongdoing and Coleman's office claimed that the allegations were "baseless, sleazy and politically inspired." An FBI spokesperson refused to confirm or deny the existence of such an investigation.TwinCities.com: FBI reviewing allegations involving Norm Coleman ally, source says (December 10, 2008)

• Background

  Prior to joining the senate, Coleman spent 17 years in the Attorney General's office and 8 years as mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota. He was elected to his first term as Senator in 2002 after defeating former Vice-President Walter Mondale.

• Quote

  "We put a lid on taxes, never raised taxes for eight years. We made city government a trustworthy partner to local business."Star-Tribune.com: Coleman and Bachmann take aim at Democratic foes... (September 2, 2008)

• Arlen Specter Endorsement?

  In early May 2009, despite recent court decisions that seemed to favor a Franken victory, Coleman drew support from an unlikely ally: Senator Arlen Specter, who had switched to the Democratic Party only days before. In an interview with the New York Times Magazine, Specter said "there's still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner."Huffington Post: Specter: Norm Coleman Should Be Seated (May 5, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  U.S. Senate | U.S. House of Representatives | Republican Party | 2008 Republican Convention | John D. Rockefeller IV | Daniel Akaka | Kay Bailey Hutchison | Lamar Alexander | Wayne Allard | Max Baucus | Bob Bennett | Jeff Bingaman | Sherrod Brown | Jim Bunning | Walter Mondale | Karl Rove | Al Franken | Paul Wellstone | Jesse Ventura | Minnesota Senate Race Results | Minnesota Election Results | Minnesota Exit Polls | Mark Ritchie

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