MINNEAPOLIS - Democrat Al Franken will be declared the winner of the tight U.S. Senate contest in Minnesota, emerging from a ballot recount with a slim margin over Republican Norm Coleman, a state official said on Sunday. Coleman, the incumbent, is expected to challenge the result in court, and could demand a second recount based on disputes over lost ballots, accusations of double-counting of votes, and the inclusion of some previously excluded absentee ballots in the recount.
