Coleman vows to contest Minn. recount

— -- Republican Norm Coleman of Minnesota said Tuesday that he is suing to challenge a recount of a hotly contested U.S. Senate race in which comedian Al Franken was declared the winner by only 225 votes.

Minnesota's Canvassing Board on Monday certified Franken's lead after a seven-week recount, but under state law was prohibited from issuing a final certification in the event of a lawsuit.

Coleman's decision means the outcome of the race could remain undecided for several months.

"We will not allow the full process to be short cut," Coleman, whose Senate term expired Saturday, said in brief remarks to the media and to his supporters.

"Minnesotans deserve 100% confidence that their senator was fairly elected by all the people," he said in St. Paul. "We need to get this right for all of us."

Franken, a one-time performer and writer for Saturday Night Live, declared victory Monday, telling reporters that "I am proud to stand before you as the next senator from Minnesota."

But a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in Washington that Franken would not be sworn in with new senators on Tuesday because of the potential legal challenges.

An outright victory by Franken would have given Democrats 58 votes in the new Senate. A potential 59th seat involves the disputed replacement for President-elect Barack Obama's Illinois Senate seat.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie was careful Monday to note that the Canvassing Board was simply signing off on the numbers found by the recount: Franken, with 1,212,431 votes, and Coleman, with 1,212,206 votes.

"We're not doing anything today that declares winners or losers or anything to that effect," Ritchie said.

All five members of the Canvassing Board — Ritchie, plus two state Supreme Court justices and two Ramsey County judges — voted to accept the recount results.

Coleman, 59, had seven days to file a lawsuit if he chose to challenge the board's ruling.

A lawsuit opens doors closed to the campaigns during the administrative recount. The campaigns would be able to access voter rolls, inspect machines and get testimony from election workers.