Al Franken is a U.S. Senator representing Minnesota. His 2008 Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman was hotly contested and extremely close. It was also marred by what journalist Matthew Vadum called ”appalling irregularities that characterized both the initial and subsequent vote-counting.” The morning after the election, Coleman led Franken by 725 votes. But Franken refused to concede, and the thin margin triggered an automatic recount. As ACORN-aligned Secretary of State Mark Ritchie presided over the recount process, Coleman’s lead gradually vanished due to a host of mysterious, newly discovered votes that almost invariably benefited Franken. A detailed account of these developments can found here. By the time the recount (and a court challenge by Coleman) had ended in April 2009, Franken held a 312-vote lead. On June 30, 2009, after the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously rejected his lawsuit, Coleman officially conceded and Franken was declared the victor.

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