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Minnesota Governor to Announce Franken's Replacement on Wednesday

December 12, 2017

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D.) said he will announce his appointment to replace departing Democratic Sen. Al Franken on Wednesday.

Franken announced last week he would be resigning his office after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct came forward against him. Although he at first said he would cooperate with a Senate ethics investigation and did not indicate plans to step down, he lost the support of his Democratic Senate colleagues, the majority of whom publicly called for him to resign after a seventh accuser came forward.

Politico report Gabriel Debenedetti shared the plans for Dayton's announcement on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/940652054988673024

Dayton's choice will serve until a special election in 2018, The Hill reports. The winner of the special election will then serve out the remainder of Franken's term until the next election in 2020. As Dayton is a Democrat, it is assured Franken's replacement with be another member of his party.

Dayton has not said who he will pick.

Franken announced his resignation in a defiant speech on the Senate floor, saying some of the stories about his behavior were untrue and taking shots at President Donald Trump and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who have also been accused of misconduct.

He was first elected in 2008 in a race that required a months-long recount, and he easily won reelection in 2014. The former sketch comedian had become popular among progressives, particularly in 2017 for his strident stance against the Trump administration and strong fundraising ability.