Former Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) said he hadn't ruled out the possibility of running for public office again during an interview with a CBS Minnesota television station on Monday.
Franken attended the dedication of Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. He sat on the Indian Affairs Committee in the U.S. Senate and helped secure $12 million in funding for new facilities to replace the old one, which was in dismal condition.
"That means a lot to me. It was very moving for me. It was very gratifying. I put my heart in the job," Franken said. "I miss the whole job. I loved that job, I loved the job as Senator."
"Will you run for office again?" WCCO-TV reporter Esme Murphy asked.
"Well, see, if I say anything there, you'll put it in the story. I don’t know. I don't know," Franken said. "I haven’t ruled it out, and I haven’t ruled it in."
Franken resigned during his second term in January after multiple women came forward to accuse him of past unwanted touching and kissing, although he did so with clear reluctance. Gov. Mark Dayton (D.) appointed Sen. Tina Smith (D., Minn.) to fill his seat.
The former comedian was a popular progressive voice in the Senate, and some allies remain upset he was pressured into stepping down without an Ethics Committee investigation.
His wife Franni said Franken's abrupt resignation had been difficult for them.
"It has been a challenge, but we do get to spend more time together, and I think there are times that both us would like to spend less time together," she joked.