Franken makes Senate resignation official

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) officially submitted his resignation on Tuesday after being pressured late last year to step down in the face of sexual misconduct allegations.

“I am grateful to Minnesotans for giving me the chance to serve our state and our nation, and I am proud to have worked on their behalf,” Franken wrote in the letter to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D).

Sen. Al Franken’s letter of resignation to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton.

Franken resigned at noon today, Minnesota time. pic.twitter.com/L2ziNolEZG

— Jennifer Brooks (@stribrooks) January 2, 2018

Franken’s replacement, Lt. Gov. Tina Smith (D), will be sworn in on Wednesday.

{mosads}Multiple women came forward toward the end of 2017 to accuse Franken of kissing or groping them without consent. Franken apologized and initially indicated he would not resign. 

However, after roughly two dozen of his Democratic colleagues called on him to step down, Franken announced in a defiant floor speech that he would step away from the Senate, eventually giving a timeframe of early January.

Dayton picked Smith to temporarily fill Franken’s seat until voters could choose a successor during a special election in November. However, Smith said she intends to run later this year to serve the remaining two years of Franken’s term.

She is unlikely to face a primary challenge after prominent Minnesota Democrats, including Reps. Keith Ellison and Tim Walz, announced they would support Smith’s candidacy. 

Republicans have yet to settle on a front-runner for the special election, though some have floated former Gov. Tim Pawlenty as a possibility.

The 2018 special election will determine who serves out the remaining two years of Franken’s term. The winner of this year’s race would have to run again in 2020 to earn a full, six-year term.