Al Franken was seated in the US Senate after a long legal challenge against Senator Norm Coleman during Barack Obama's first presidential term.

What we found

Supports. Franken was sworn in as a US senator on July 7, 2009, after the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously rejected Coleman's appeal on June 30, 2009.[2][3][4]

Supports. The legal battle lasted about eight months to over ten months, including a recount, a three-judge panel trial, and state Supreme Court review, consistent with the claim's 'long legal challenge.'[1][3][5]

Supports. Senate.gov's record of contested elections lists the 2008 Minnesota contest of Norm Coleman v. Al Franken, with Franken seated in 2009, confirming the Senate's own account.[2]

Supports. The 2009 timing falls within Barack Obama's first presidential term, which runs from 2009 to 2013, and Obama publicly commented on Franken's swearing-in.[4][5]

Context. Coleman brought the legal challenge to Franken's certified win, so 'against Coleman' inverts the direction of the challenge, but the claim still describes the same contest between the two candidates.[6][7]

Sources

7 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary, 1 tier 2, 4 not rated

1. 1Al Franken wins Minnesota Senate seat in recountreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
2. 2About Electing and Appointing Senators | Contested Senate Electionssenate.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
3. 3Franken sworn in as U.S. senator, July 7, 2009politico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
4. 4Coleman Concedes; Franken to Be Seatedrollcall.com · not rated · cited for: supports
5. 5Al Franken, satirist and statesman, profiledharvardmagazine.com · not rated · cited for: supports
6. 6COLEMAN v. Al Franken for Senate and ...caselaw.findlaw.com · not rated · cited for: context
7. 7In Re Contest of General Electioncourtlistener.com · not rated · cited for: context

Where this claim was made

Said in 1 published post

• Americast · Sep 16, 2026“You remember the Al Franken uh race in Minnesota, the Senate race there. He was trailing on election day. It took a long time. There were legal challenges before he was finally, uh, seated, beating Senator Coleman, I think it was, and, and giving Democrats the 60th seat in the Senate during Barack Obama's first presidential term.”Post →