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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 727-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 one 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.
      

With all 4,130 precincts reporting, Coleman led Franken by 725 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast. Coleman had 1,211,625 votes, or 42 percent, to Franken's 1,210,900 votes, or 41.97 percent.
      

Dean Barkley of the Independence Party was third with 437,307, or 15
percent, and exit poll data showed him pulling about equally from
Coleman and Franken.
      

If it holds up, Coleman would be among the
fortunate Republicans who survived big gains by Democrats
nationwide.
      

"The senator is thrilled and humbled to be given the
opportunity to serve the people of Minnesota for another six
years," campaign manager Cullen Sheehan said in a statement.
      

"Today is a time for us to come together as a state and a
nation. There is much work to be done, and the senator is ready to
roll-up his sleeves and bring people together to get it done."
      

Franken said he would await a recount. He said his campaign was
already looking into reports of irregularities in Minneapolis where
some voters had trouble registering, though he wouldn't elaborate.
      

Franken remained hopefull that a recount could favor his bid for the Senate seat.

"There's reason to believe that the recount could change the vote tallies significantly. Our office and the Obama campaign have received reports of irregularities of various precincts around the state. For instance, some polling places in Minneapolis ran out of registration materials. Our team has been working on these issues for several hours already," Franken said.


Exit polls showed that Franken held a big lead in Minneapolis
and St. Paul, and a smaller lead in eastern parts of the state.
Coleman ran stronger in Twin Cities suburbs and western Minnesota.
      

Coleman's bid for a second term came against a strong Democratic
headwind nationwide, led by Barack Obama's big presidential
victory. Several of Coleman's fellow Senate Republicans were
overwhelmed, with the GOP losing Senate seats in Virginia, North
Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Colorado.
      

The photo finish in Minnesota's Senate race came after months of
intense campaigning and millions of dollars in ad spending.
      

Coleman and Franken each arrived at Election Day with a shot at
winning. The pair traded narrow leads in the last few polls, with
Barkley well back but a wild card.
      

In the campaign's last days, Coleman was forced to respond to
allegations in a Texas civil lawsuit that a donor and friend tried
to funnel him $75,000. Win or lose, Coleman was likely to face
continuing fallout from the allegations, which he denied.
      

For Franken, who made his name as a writer and performer on
"Saturday Night Live," the election was a referendum on 21 months
spent trying to convince voters he had the stuff of a U.S. senator.
      

The candidates spent $30 million attacking each other on the
airwaves. Millions more poured into the race from the national
parties and outside groups, leaving both men with high negatives in
voters' eyes.
      

Coleman portrayed himself as a pragmatist and a moderate who
could get things done in Washington, and his stump speeches were
filled with references to "reaching across the aisle."
      

He characterized Franken as angry and unfit for public office,
and hammered Franken for outrageous jokes and statements from his
career as an author and satirist. Coleman also played up Franken's
blunders in filing his personal income taxes.
      

Franken's path to Election Day began in February 2007, when he
announced his candidacy live on his Air America radio show.
      

His celebrity profile and ability to raise cash made him a
formidable opponent, and Franken vowed to win back a seat once held
by the late Paul Wellstone. Franken promised to fight for the
middle class, and criticized Coleman as too closely aligned with
President Bush and special interests.
      

But Coleman led comfortably until late summer and early fall,
when polls began to show Franken closing the gap. One poll showed a
majority of voters thought ads attacking Franken were unfair;
Coleman later announced he was dropping negative ads.
      

Franken also appeared to benefit from the public's unhappiness
over the Wall Street bailout legislation. Coleman supported the
bill, and Franken said he would have opposed it.
      

Minnesota's most notable election recount came in 1962, when
DFLer Karl Rolvaag edged Republican Elmer Andersen by 91 votes -
the closest governor's race ever in Minnesota.
      
      

Gallery

Politics and Government News

The Associated Press has backed off its earlier declaration that Norm Coleman won re-election to the U.S. Senate, because the margin of victory is so slim it will require a recount.

AP reverses call on Senate outcome; recount required

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