Polinaut: November 5, 2008 Archive

Paulsen and Bachmann win

Posted at 1:03 AM on November 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

Republican Erik Paulsen and GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann won tonight in two hard fought contests. Paulsen will replace GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. Bachmann was reelected in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District.

Get ready for a recount...

Posted at 2:44 AM on November 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck (9 Comments)

Staffers for GOP Sen. Norm Coleman were just sent out to guard the ballot boxes. There is a razor thin margin between Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.

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Dig in...

Posted at 4:00 AM on November 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

A mandatory recount is coming in the Senate race. The ballroom at the GOP Party is empty except for three Coleman supporters and a handful of reporters.

AP calls it for Coleman, recount to occur

Posted at 8:04 AM on November 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The Associated Press called the race for GOP Sen. Norm Coleman. A mandatory recount will occur, however, since the margin is so close. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says the state's canvassing board will order the recount when it meets in two weeks. He said the manual recount could take a month.

Coleman will hold a media availability at 11 this morning. The wonderful Molly Bloom has volunteered to do The Daily Digest today. I'm going to bed.

AP uncalls Minnesota Senate race

Posted at 9:31 AM on November 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

The Associated Press is now uncalling Minnesota's Senate race.

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Associated Press is uncalling the Minnesota Senate race.

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken early Wednesday in the final vote count, but his 571-vote margin falls within the state's mandatory recount law. That law requires a recount any time the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of 1 percent.

The AP called the race prematurely.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said the recount won't begin until mid-November at the earliest and will probably stretch into December. It will involve local election officials from around the state.

Daily Digest: 11-05-08

Posted at 9:37 AM on November 5, 2008 by Molly Bloom (2 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

Minnesotans turned out in large numbers yesterday, but didn't quite reach the goal of 80 percent that the Secretary of State's office was hoping for.

After a long night, (most of) the results are in:

President

Sen. Barack Obama has been elected in an electoral landslide, 349-147. Here's AP's story.

Minnesota goes for Obama.

And this margin could still grow; we're still waiting for results from North Carolina and Missouri.

McCain concedes gracefully in Arizona. And Obama gives his victory speech to a crowd of 65,000 in Chicago's Grant Park.

U.S. Senate

The Democrats have gained at least five seats in the Senate, with the results from four more races uncertain.

One of these races is right here in Minnesota. Incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman has won, but by less than 1,000 votes. But a mandatory recount will occur since the margin is less than one half of one percent.

Sen. Coleman and DFL challenger Al Franken each won 42 percent of the vote, with Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley winning 15 percent.

U.S. House

Democrats have gained about 20 seats in the U.S. House.

But none of those seats are in Minnesota. All of our incumbents are re-elected, including Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann in the 6th Congressional District.

Retiring Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad's seat will stay within in the party. Erik Paulsen defeats DFL challenger Ashwin Madia, 48 to 41 percent. IP candidate David Dillon won 10 percent of the vote.

Constitutional Amendement

Voters pass the proposed constitutional amendment, which will provide funding for outdoors and the arts and the raise the sales tax by three-eights of a percent beginning next July. It passed 56 to 39 percent.

MN Legislature

The DFL appears to have gained two seats in the MN House, but failed to gain the five needed for a veto-proof supermajority.

Schools

So far, school referenda have had split results. 35 questions have passed and 38 have failed. Reporter Tom Weber has put together a nifty map where you can see how districts voted across the state.

Voters in Minneapolis pass a measure that expands the School Board from seven to nine members and changes the way they are elected.

Judicial races

Two Minnesota Supreme Court justices successfully defend their seats. Justices Lorie Skjerven Gildea and Paul Anderson are re-elected.

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Recount: Day 1

Posted at 1:41 PM on November 5, 2008 by Tom Scheck

It appears that GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken are preparing to win the recount and to sway public opinion. GOP Sen. Norm Coleman held a news conference this morning and suggested that Franken could opt out of the recount.

You can listen to today's media availability by GOP Sen. Norm Coleman here.

Franken said he thinks the recount should go forward. David Lillehaug, an attorney representing Franken spoke with MPR's Midday program about it. You can listen to that interview here:

Meanwhile, MPR's Morning Edition interviewed Secretary of State Mark Ritchie about the recount process. You can listen to that interview here: