Senate Contests Ringing Up Record Ad Tabs

(NEWSER) - Kay Hagan defeated Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina and at least four other Democrats captured Republican seats in the Senate as the party inched toward a filibuster-proof goal of 60 seats, ABC News reports. It's going down to the wire. Democrats now have 56 seats, and four races remain undecided, including Al Franken's in Minnesota. Republicans got help with victories from Mitch McConnell in Kentucky and Roger Wicker in Mississippi. More»

Dems could pick up 8 seats; GOP could oust Landrieu in La.

(NEWSER) - With 35 Senate seats up for grabs Tuesday, Chris Cillizza, in the Washington Post, predicts Democrats will flip eight. Two more are close calls for the Dems, while the GOP has one hope for a pickup. Starting with the most likely:

1. Virginia is in the bag for Mark Warner; he might even get 60% of the vote.
2. New Mexico will fall easily to Tom Udall...
3. ...while his cousin, Mark Udall, has pulled away in Colorado.

Franken picks Senate staffers as rival refuses to concede

(NEWSER) - Embattled former senator Norm Coleman is keeping alive the last fight of Election 2008 with an appeal to Minnesota's Supreme Court, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Coleman is arguing that a lower court that awarded Al Franken a 312-vote victory denied constituents their constitutional rights by rejecting some absentee ballots. Franken, meanwhile, has started picking his Senate staffers. More»

(NEWSER) - Democrats have widened their campaign against Norm Coleman to include a radio ad urging him to concede to Al Franken, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. “Minnesota deserves two senators and voters deserve to have their verdict stand,” says the ad, produced by the DNC. “Call Norm Coleman,” the ad concludes. “Tell him that it is time to concede.” More»

Legal process must run its course in Senate race, Gov. Pawlenty says

(NEWSER) - Minnesota officials turned down Al Franken’s request that he be certified as senator, the AP reports, just hours after his attorneys argued that a waiting period had passed for challenges. Though Franken emerged from the recount 225 votes ahead of incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, Coleman is challenging the result in court, the Hill adds. More»