Franken declares he's won U.S. Senate seat

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Democrat Al Franken, with a Canvassing Board ruling in hand, declared Monday he has won the U.S. Senate seat from Republican Norm Coleman, who hasn't conceded.

"After 62 days of careful and painstaking hand inspection of nearly 3 million ballots, after hours and hours of hard work by election officials and volunteers across this state, I am proud to stand before you as the next senator from Minnesota," Franken said at a news conference outside his Minneapolis townhouse with his wife Franni at his side.

He called his 225-vote win following a recount of the Nov. 4 election that initially gave Coleman a 215-vote margin "incredibly humbling" because of the closeness off the vote and the responsibility of the job before him. He said he's "ready to go to Washington and get to work just as soon as possible."

He also acknowledged that "this isn't an easy day for Norm Coleman and his family, and I know because that Franni and I and our kids have had plenty of time over the last couple months to contemplate what this would be like if the election turned out differently."

But Coleman attorney Tony Trimble said it's not over yet, despite the state Canvassing Board's ruling, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.

"This process isn't at an end. It is now just at the beginning. We will now contest the results," Trimble said.

That election contest -- a lawsuit -- bars Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, from signing the election certificate needed to make Franken's victory official. Under state law, any court challenges must be settled first.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told Congressional Quarterly there will likely be an attempt to seat Franken this week. The new senators are to be sworn in Tuesday.

Coleman is expected to make a statement on Tuesday.