Al Franken
U.S. Senator
Democrat, Minnesota
- Date of Birth: May 21, 1951
- Birthplace: Manhattan, N.Y.
- First Elected: 2008
Committee Assignments:
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senate Committee on the JudiciaryAl Franken was born in Manhattan and moved to Minnesota with his family when he was four years old. He grew up in near the Twin Cities, where his father was a printing salesman and his mother was a real estate agent. Franken graduated from Harvard University in 1973. Soon after graduation, he and a friend were hired as junior writers by Saturday Night Live and the pair split a $350-a-week paycheck. Franken spent nearly 20 years at the show, earning five Emmies and seven nominations. He played many satirical roles, most notably Stuart Smalley, before leaving the show in 1995. In 1996, shortly after leaving SNL, Franken wrote a book called, Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot, in which he lambasted the radio talk show host and the right-wing. Franken won a Grammy for the book's audio version. He wrote two more similarly satirical books criticizing conservatives in 2003 and 2005. All three books reached the top of the New York Times best sellers list and made Franken some political foes. From 2004 to 2007, Frank hosted the Al Franken Show on the progressive radio network, Air America. After establishing himself as a liberal through his books and broadcasts, he decided to run for his state's senate seat. He spent $21 million on his campaign to unseat one-term incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. The 2008 race became one of the most contentious in Senate history. It was so close that state law required a recount, which Franken won. Coleman protested the results and took the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which upheld that Franken beat Coleman by 312 votes. Franken was sworn into office on July 7, 2009, nearly eight months after the election, giving Democrats the 60th vote needed to break filibusters. In the Senate, Franken introduced and won passage of amendments to the landmark financial reform and healthcare bills in 2010. He and his wife Franni, who he met at a freshmen year Harvard mixer, have been married for over 30 years and have adult children.
Campaign Fundraising
2005 - Present| Top 5 Organizations | PACs | Individuals | Total |
| ActBlue | $0 | $103,782 | $103,782 |
| General Electric | $0 | $51,928 | $51,928 |
| University of Minnesota | $0 | $50,225 | $50,225 |
| Time Warner | $1,000 | $48,997 | $49,997 |
| Moveon.org | $0 | $41,987 | $41,987 |
| Top 5 Industries | PACs | Individuals | Total |
| Lawyers & Law Firms | $2,000 | $204,908 | $206,908 |
| Retired | $0 | $147,380 | $147,380 |
| Democratic/Liberal | $3,250 | $106,922 | $110,172 |
| Securities & Investment | $4,000 | $90,805 | $94,805 |
| TV, Movies, & Music | $13,000 | $71,650 | $84,650 |
Al Franken in the News
-
Rich Donors Don't Act on Threat to Stop
August 19, 2011
Ben and Jerry boss can't stop dishing up campaign treats. -
Kim: Should the Defense of Marriage Act Be Repealed?
July 20, 2011
A bill would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and woman. - Dems question OnStar privacy moves Al Franken and Chris Coons question whether plans to anonymize data offer any real protection.
- Al Franken: 'I love Google,' but ... After saying "I love Google," he criticizes the company's placement of its services in search results.
- Cravaack campaign's welcome cash jolt Former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman is slated to hold a fundraiser for GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack. Coleman, who lose his reelection bid to DFL Sen. Al Franken in 2008, is holding the fundraiser for Cravaack at The Minneapolis Club on…
