Franken’s Lead Grows to 312 After Recount

Aaron Keyak — April 7, 2009 – 1:44 pm | Congress | Democrats | Republicans Comments (0) Add a comment

Despite all Coleman’s efforts, Franken still received more votes in their race for U.S. Senate - in fact, Franken’s lead has increased. I have had numerous posts on this issue and today we followed the recount live, but hopefully there will not be the need for many more posts like this. Franken won, Coleman lost, let’s move on.

As a reminder, here’s what I wrote yesterday:

Okay, but at the very least, Coleman has maintained the same principled position since Election Day.

Considering the closeness of both these elections, the urge to squeak out victory can certainly compel politicians to take contradictory positions. Sometimes the change comes within matter of months.

“If you asked me what I would do, I would step back,” Coleman said of a recount, the night of the election, when he was ahead. “I just think the healing process is so important. The possibility of any change of this magnitude in the voting system we have would be so remote—that would be my judgment. Mr. Franken will decide what Mr. Franken will do.”

Present-day Coleman should take Coleman’s, circa 11/08, advice:

“I would step back…The possibility of any change of this magnitude in the voting system we have would be so remote”

Now, Coleman would have to admit, the possibility of him winning is virtually nonexistent:

Democrat Al Franken’s lead in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race has grown to 312 votes now that hundreds of absentee ballots have been added to the counting. Republican Norm Coleman has reiterated his intention to appeal the case.

A three-judge panel ruled that the rejected absentee ballots should be opened and counted, after hearing weeks of testimony in a lawsuit brought by Republican Norm Coleman.

Norm Coleman visits with his attorneysFranken led by 225 votes going into today’s count of those absentee ballots.

The judges ordered 351 ballots counted, and Minnesota Election Director Gary Poser took just under an hour to review them.

An attorney from each side watched as Poser opened and counted each ballot. Neither attorney objected to any of the ballots during this process.

The number of votes each candidate picked up in today’s count:

Coleman—111 votes

Franken—198 votes

Other—42 votes

That brought Franken’s final lead over Coleman to 312 votes, up from the 225-vote lead he held after a statewide recount.

That seems pretty clear to me.

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