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Franken Wins: Minnesotans voted November 4 of last year, but it wasn't until yesterday that they learned officially who their new senator would be. The Minnesota State Supreme Court announced its long awaited decision yesterday afternoon, rejecting incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's challenge to the recount conducted in December and declaring former comedian Al Franken as the state's next senator.

Following the ruling, Coleman conceded the race to Franken, saying, "The Supreme Court of Minnesota has spoken... I respect its decision and will abide by its result."

A short time later, Franken said: "I can't wait to get started." He will likely be sworn in next week when Congress returns from its Fourth of July recess.

"The two candidates and their allies spent over $50 million on their campaigns, the recount and the trial," writes Pat Doyle of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.

"At the heart of Coleman's appeal was his insistence that the varying treatment of absentee ballots violated voter rights to equal protection under the Constitution. But the justices said voter rights weren't violated because local officials merely applied state election law differently for the convenience of their residents. There has to be evidence of an intent to discriminate, they wrote."

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Democrat Al Franken said today that he "can't wait to get started" in the U.S. Senate following a nearly eight-month legal battle with former rival Norm Coleman.

Franken, accompanied by his wife and amid cheers from supporters, said he had received a "very gracious call" from Coleman, who earlier conceded the Minnesota Senate race after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled against him in an appeal over disputed absentee ballots.

Franken's final margin of victory over Coleman was just 312 votes out of 2.9 million cast.

Franken said he and his family are "so thrilled that we can finally celebrate this victory, and I am so excited to finally be able to get to work for the people of Minnesota."

"I know there's been a lot of talk about the fact that when I'm sworn in I'll be the sixtieth member of the Democratic caucus," Franken said, a reference to the fact that his presence in the Senate gives Democrats a filibuster proof majority. "But that's not how I see it."

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Updated 6:03 p.m. ET

Nearly eight months after voters went to the polls, the Minnesota Senate race has finally yielded a winner: Democrat Al Franken.

Republican Norm Coleman conceded his loss in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, saying he has called to congratulate the former comedian on his victory. His statement came after the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously rejected his appeal of a lower court ruling in Franken's favor.

"The Supreme Court of Minnesota has spoken," Coleman said. "I respect its decision and will abide by its result."

Coleman could have appealed the state court decision in the federal courts, though polls indicate that Minnesota voters wanted the legal battle between the onetime bitter rivals to draw to a close. The former senator said he believed that "it is time now to move forward."

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UPDATED 4:18 p.m. ET

NOTE: Coleman has now conceded and congratulated Franken on his victory. Read more here.

Former Senator Norm Coleman has lost his appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court, paving the way for Democrat Al Franken to join the Senate and give his party a filibuster-proof majority – though Coleman's could still appeal the decision in U.S. federal court.

"We affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast" in the election, the decision states. The justices also explicitly ruled that Franken is "entitled" under Minnesota law to receive the certificate of election as senator.

The judges stated that Coleman has "not shown that the trial court's findings of fact are clearly erroneous or that the court committed an error of law or abused its discretion." They ruled unanimously for Franken, 5-0.

"Coleman has exhausted all of his state legal options at this point," said CBS News political director Steve Chaggaris. "His choice now is to either appeal to federal courts or concede."

A Minnesota court awarded Al Franken about $95,000 in legal fees from Norm Coleman Wednesday, but we still await the big decision from the State Supreme Court on the Senate race. While we do, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

First, if the State Supreme Court’s decision favors Norm Coleman, remember that won’t in itself give him the Senate seat. If the rejected absentee ballots that Coleman wants reconsidered are actually opened up, it isn’t known whether the votes would help Coleman’s numbers or Franken’s. Depending on what the court orders, such a ruling might only send the race back to the Secretary of State’s office to begin a process of reconsidering them.

There are three things you can count on in life: Death, taxes, and the fact that the Minnesota Senate race, much like the typical middle school talent show, will seemingly never end.

The latest development in the nearly-seven-month-long saga comes today, as lawyers for former Senator Norm Coleman ask the Minnesota Supreme Court to overturn Democrat Al Franken's slim victory over his Republican rival.

Here's a brief recap of the situation so far: On November 4th of last year - that's nearly seven months ago - Minnesota voters cast their ballots. The initial results showed a narrow Coleman victory, but the tight outcome triggered an automatic recount - after which Franken had a narrow lead.

Then came months of legal wrangling, which culminated in a judicial panel declaring Franken the winner of the election by 312 votes. Coleman appealed that decision, which is why the case now stands before the state Supreme Court.

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Well, don't say it came as a proverbial bolt from the blue.

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, who last week crossed parties to become a Democrat, said on Tuesday that he hoped Republican Norm Coleman would be declard the winner win Minnesota's dragged-out senate race.

In a question-and-answer interview with the New York Times Sunday Magazine, Times reporter Deborah Solomon wanted to know whether he cared that there now would be no more Jewish Republicans left in the United States Senate.

"I sure do. There’s still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner," Specter said.

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Liberal advocacy group Americans United For Change has released a new ad pressuring Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to "act in the best interest of Minnesota" and certify Democrat Al Franken as the state's senator.

Franken was declared the victor in his battle against Norm Coleman for the Minnesota Senate seat following a recount and legal wrangling that has lasted for months. Coleman is now appealing the decision to the state Supreme Court.

"Most Minnesotans – including Republicans – believe that once the state Supreme Court rules, Governor Pawlenty should do his legal duty and certify Al Franken as our senator," an announcer says in the spot. "But the national Republican donors don’t want Minnesota to have our rightful representation in the Senate. The Republican Campaign Chairman, Texas Senator Cornyn, said Norm Coleman’s court challenges could take 'years' to resolve."

"Now Governor Pawlenty has a choice," the announcer continues. "Will he act in the best interest Minnesota or his own national political ambitions?"

These words then appear onscreen: "Call Governor Pawlenty at 800-657-3717. Ask him to put Minnesota’s interest ahead of political ambition."

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Former Senator Norm Coleman, who is appealing his loss to Democrat Al Franken in the Minnesota Senate race to the Minnesota Supreme Court, yesterday asked the court not to take up his appeal too quickly.

Coleman wants the case "argued no sooner than mid-May," reports the Star Tribune – two weeks later than Franken would like to see the court take up the case.

As the Trib notes, Coleman's team says it wants the case argued "as expeditiously as possible," but add that their lawyers "must be given enough time to fully develop and consider the issues on appeal."

Franken was declared the winner of the extraordinarily close election following a recount, and the appeal is the latest volley in a protracted court battle over which ballots should and should not be counted.

National Republicans, who benefit from keeping Franken's vote out of the Senate, have called for donations to help Coleman continue his legal fight.

Back in November, Coleman called for Franken to drop out of the race after initial Election Day results showed Coleman with a slight lead over his rival.

Former Republican Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman sued after the recount in his razor-close election battle with Democrat Al Franken, above, showed the former comedian with a 225 vote lead, setting off a legal battle that has dragged for months.

The results of that lawsuit, however, appear to have helped Franken more than Coleman, at least for the time being.

Franken today extended his lead by almost 100 votes, and he now leads Coleman by 312, reports the Associated Press.

Last week, the three-judge panel hearing the case allowed for 351 additional contested absentee ballots to be counted. The count, which happened today, netted Franken more votes than it did Coleman.

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