Al Franken's 2008 United States Senate election opponent had previously been a member of which political party before becoming a Republican?
Norm Coleman Norman Bertram Coleman Jr., (born August 17, 1949) is an American lobbyist, lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota from 2003 until 2009. Before that, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota from 1994 to 2002. Previously a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Coleman became a Republican in 1996. Coleman was elected to the Senate in 2002 and served one term, losing his 2008 reelection bid by 312 votes (out of over 3 million cast).
Al Franken Alan Stuart "Al" Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American writer, comedian, and politician. Since 2009, he has been the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a writer and performer on the television comedy show "Saturday Night Live". After decades as a comedic actor and writer, he became a prominent liberal political activist. Franken was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008 in a razor-thin victory over incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman, and then won re-election in 2014 over Republican challenger Mike McFadden. Franken is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), an affiliate of the Democratic Party.