Al Franken Loses Bid to Temporarily Serve as Senator

Al Franken Loses Bid to Temporarily Serve as Senator (Update2); Bloomberg

Democrat Al Franken lost his bid to temporarily serve as a U.S. senator while a Minnesota court hears Republican Norm Coleman’s challenge to a recount that put Franken ahead in the November election by 225 votes.

The Minnesota Supreme Court today refused to order state officials to temporarily certify Franken to serve in the Senate while the suit by Coleman, the previous incumbent, is being resolved.

“Neither state nor federal law requires issuance of a certificate of election before an election contest is completed,” the state court said, referring to Coleman’s lawsuit contesting the results of the recount.