Wraith
06-30-2009, 02:08 PM
MPR (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/06/30/supcoruling_senate/): Republican Norm Coleman has conceded to Democrat Al Franken, just hour after the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld Franken victory in the state's epic election contest.
Coleman had hinted he might petition the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but at a mid-afternoon press conference outside his house Tuesday he told reporters it's time to end the long-standing race.
This means Franken is in line to becoming Minnesota's next Senator, as soon as Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie issue an election certificate, which the five Supreme Court justices said Franken is entitled to receive.
In its 32-page ruling, the state's highest court unanimously rejected Coleman's appeal of a lower court's ruling that put Franken, ahead by 312 votes.
"We affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota," the court wrote in the order.
The court rejected all of Coleman's arguments that sought to include more absentee ballots into the count. The decision came after 30 days of deliberation and nearly eight months since Minnesotans cast their ballots at the polls.Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/49520987.html), CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/30/franken.ruling/)
Coleman had hinted he might petition the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but at a mid-afternoon press conference outside his house Tuesday he told reporters it's time to end the long-standing race.
This means Franken is in line to becoming Minnesota's next Senator, as soon as Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie issue an election certificate, which the five Supreme Court justices said Franken is entitled to receive.
In its 32-page ruling, the state's highest court unanimously rejected Coleman's appeal of a lower court's ruling that put Franken, ahead by 312 votes.
"We affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota," the court wrote in the order.
The court rejected all of Coleman's arguments that sought to include more absentee ballots into the count. The decision came after 30 days of deliberation and nearly eight months since Minnesotans cast their ballots at the polls.Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/49520987.html), CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/30/franken.ruling/)