LegiStorm

Summary

Biographical

Family:

Education

• Harvard University - AB, behavioral science, cum laude (1973)

• Blake School (Minneapolis, Minn.) - High school diploma (1969)

Office History

Election Results

• 2015 (Nov. 4, 2014 election)

  U.S. Senate Seat for Minnesota (Class 2)
  Alan Stuart Franken (Al), 53.15%

  Democrat
  Michael Frederick McFadden (Mike), 42.91%

  Republican
  Steve Carlson, 2.40%

  Independence Party
  Heather Johnson, 1.50%

  Libertarian

• 2009 (Nov. 4, 2008 election)

  U.S. Senate Seat for Minnesota (Class 2)
  Alan Stuart Franken (Al), 41.99%

  Democrat
  Norman Bertram Coleman Jr. (Norm), 41.98%

  Republican
  Dean Barkley, 15.15%

  Independence Party

Associated Organizations

• Al Franken for Senate 2014 (Minnesota)

• Midwest Values PAC

Awards

• Porker of the Month (Citizens Against Government Waste) (March 2017)

• Legislative Award (National Rural Health Association) (2017)

• Golden Triangle Award (National Farmers Union) (Sept. 2016)

Publications

• Al Franken, Giant of the Senate (2017)

• The Truth (With Jokes) (2005)

• Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (2003)

• Oh, the Things I Know! A Guide to Success, or, Failing That, Happiness (2002)

• Why Not Me?: The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency (2000)

• Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations (1996)

• I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me! Affirmations by Stuart Smalley (1992)

Official Signature

Privately Financed Travel

1 trip taken in 2012 costing $26,733

See map of trips

Personal Financial Disclosures

Disclosures as a member:

Foreign Gifts

• 8/27/2015: Transportation to sites within Gabon via military helicopter from Gabon
• 8/27/2015: Transportation to sites within Gabon via military helicopter from Gabon

» See more

Congressional Staff

Caught Our Eye

• UMich lobbyist finds her way back to Senate Democrats

  Posted by Keturah Hetrick on Oct. 26, 2023
  A longtime Democratic staffer has returned to the Senate following a brief University of Michigan lobbying stint. read more

• Concussion-prone wrestlers hire law firm to lobby

  Posted by J. Todd Foster on April 25, 2016
  Retired professional wrestlers have jumped into the lobbying ring, with Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP assembling a coalition of them to lobby in the areas of concussion research and sports safety regulations. read more

• Two Barber staffers leave office amid recount

  Posted by Jenna Ebersole on Dec. 10, 2014
  As a recount continues to determine whether Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.) will overcome his Republican challenger, two staffers have already jumped ship. read more

• Senators reveal book deals and junkets in new disclosures

  Posted by John Sugden on May 19, 2014
  U.S. senators detailed their finances late last week, revealing outside income from such sources as book deals and even a junket paid by a Mexican media mogul on behalf of a possible presidential candidate. read more

• 92 members of Congress did not file financial disclosures

  Posted by Daimon Eklund on June 14, 2012
   The filings of 17 senators and 75 representatives were not available when the personal financial dislcosures were released Thursday. read more

• Posted by Garrett Snedeker on May 30, 2012
  Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)'s health policy adviser waited three months after a trip to Guatemala to file her necessary disclosure forms. It was two months past the filing deadline but sooner than two likely congressional companions who have yet to file. read more

• Posted by Daimon Eklund on March 29, 2012
  Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) didn't take a privately financed trip for his first two and a half years in office, but a personal tour of Israel appears to have been too good to pass up. read more

• Posted by Garrett Snedeker on Feb. 10, 2012
  Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) this week pulled a new aide through the revolving door to become his education policy adviser. read more

• Nearly 50 members have yet to file financial disclosures

  Posted by LegiStorm on July 19, 2011
  Half of the members of Congress who received extensions to file their personal financial disclosures at the May deadline have since filed, leaving nearly 50 lawmakers who have yet to file. read more

• Many lawmakers granted financial disclosure extensions

  Posted by LegiStorm on June 15, 2011
  Twenty senators and 75 representatives requested an extension of the May deadline and did not have a 2011 personal financial disclosures in today's release. read more

• All 2010 Senate financial disclosures available at LegiStorm

  Posted by LegiStorm on June 16, 2010
  The Senate released financial disclosures for all senators today in paper format. LegiStorm has scanned them all in and put them online. read more

• Franken's not joking around with his financial disclosure

  Posted by LegiStorm on Sept. 15, 2009
  Before he became a politician, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) made at least $1 million a year salary as a comedian and author, according to his financial disclosure he filed when he first ran for the U.S. Senate. But Franken's first full financial disclosure as a sitting senator doesn't provide any insight into how much money he continues to take in royalties from television, film and book products. read more

• LegiStorm posts all senator financial disclosures

  Posted by LegiStorm on June 12, 2009
  LegiStorm has now completed upload of all senator financial disclosures. read more

• An early look at this year's financial disclosures

  Posted by LegiStorm on May 15, 2009
  Most personal financial disclosures by members of Congress won't be released to the public until next month, but some interesting disclosures have already trickled out so far. read more

• LegiStorm updates members of Congress and adds financial disclosures

  Posted by LegiStorm on Jan. 5, 2009
  The members of the 111th Congress will be officially sworn in Tuesday and LegiStorm has already updated its pages to reflect the new congressional makeup. We have added all the new freshmen senators and representatives, and have updated the status of those leaving the legislative bodies. We've also added the financial disclosures for the new members filed as candidates, giving their constituents an early look at the new legislators' financial dealings. read more