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Mike Ciresi tells reporters he hasn't ruled out a return to the DFL Senate race he dropped out of nearly three months ago. Ciresi, a wealthy attorney, says he's been getting a lot of calls from around the state, and has kept "intense interest in the race." Ciresi's comments came after one of his prominent supporters, Democratic Representative Betty McCollum, criticized a Playboy column by DFL Senate candidate Al Franken. Last week, McCollum had called that 2000 column offensive, and said it was a serious political problem for Democratic candidates this year. Franken remains the favorite to win the nominating...

Attorney Mike Ciresi said this afternoon that he is dropping out of the race for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in Minnesota. His decision leaves political satirist and commentator Al Franken and University of St. Thomas professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer as the leading Democratic candidates seeking to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found Al Franken slightly ahead of incumbent Senator Norm Coleman in what is likely to be a closely contested campaign. Franken, a former comedian and political commentator, leads Coleman 49% to 46%. If the Democrats nominate trial attorney Mike Ciresi, the poll shows Coleman attracting 47% of the vote while Ciresi earns 45%. These results show a significant improvement for Franken since an early November poll found him trailing by seven-points. That same survey found Coleman with a three point lead over Ciresi.

In the 1980s, Al Franken was cracking jokes on "Saturday Night Live." Mike Ciresi, his chief rival for the Democratic nomination for the Senate this year, was serving as general counsel to the government of India in a landmark lawsuit over a catastrophic industrial accident. A decade later, while Franken was writing books like "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big, Fat Idiot," Ciresi was leading the state of Minnesota's lawsuit against Big Tobacco, winning a $6 billion settlement. Despite his impressive resume, Ciresi finds himself trailing Franken in the Democratic contest. The comedian-turned-candidate has raised millions more, lined up the most...

A day after the collapse of a Minneapolis bridge along a busy stretch of I-35 West killed at least five people, wounded almost 80 people and left 30 others missing, Senate candidate Al Franken announced the suspension of his campaign in light of the tragic events in Minnesota. "I'm relieved to report that, as far as we know, everyone associated with the campaign is OK, but the coming hours and days will be tense for everyone in Minnesota as details are confirmed," Franken, a writer and former "Saturday Night Live" comedian, said in a statement.

US SENATE - MINNESOTA Norm Coleman (R) 49% Al Franken (D) 42% Norm Coleman (R) 48% Mike Ciresi (D) 42% Norm Coleman (R) 49% Jim Cohen (D) 37%

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken raised nearly $2 million in the latest reporting period, pulling in more money than both his Democratic rival and the Republican incumbent, Sen. Norm Coleman. Franken, a comedian-turned-candidate, announced Monday he had pulled in $1.9 million in the second quarter of the year, covering April through June. Last week, Coleman, R-Minn., said he had raised about $1.6 million in the period, and Democrat Mike Ciresi said he had raised $750,000. Ciresi, a wealthy lawyer, didn't begin raising money until May. "It's unusual for a challenger to have this kind of quarter," said...

DFL candidate Al Franken announced today he had raised $1.9 million in the latest reporting period, more than Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic rival Mike Ciresi. Franken's take in the period, covering April to June, exceeded Coleman's $1.6 million and Ciresi's $750,000. Ciresi didn't begin raising money until May. Despite the big period, Franken trailed Coleman in cash on hand, reporting just under $2 million compared to Coleman's $3.8 million. Ciresi ended the period with $625,000 in the bank. Franken's campaign provided his latest numbers to the Associated Press today. The other candidates released their figures last week.

Mike Ciresi formally announced his campaign Wednesday saying the toughness he showed as a trial lawyer in major cases will make him a strong U.S. Senator from Minnesota. Ciresi joins former comedian Al Franken in seeking the DFL endorsement to face incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008. During a news conference, Ciresi talked about growing up in a working class St. Paul family and going on to secure a $6 billion settlement from tobacco companies for the state of Minnesota. He said those values will help him fight for the middle class, which he said is getting squeezed. Republican...

Attorney Mike Ciresi, who put nearly $5 million of his own money into his 2000 U.S. Senate race, said Monday he wasn't planning to self-fund again in his 2008 bid. "No, we'll raise the money," Ciresi said in a telephone interview. "I think it's a better way to go." Ciresi, who revealed Sunday he was forming an exploratory committee as a DFL Senate candidate, said that he plans to formally announce his candidacy this spring. Comedian Al Franken is expected to announce his plans to run as a Democrat this week. Both men have their sights set on incumbent Sen....