UPDATE, 4:00 p.m.: Former Sen. Norm Coleman announces his concession. Al Franken will be the next senator from Minnesota!

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that Al Franken won the state's U.S. Senate election last November against incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). "During the election, Senator-elect Franken made clear he will work hard to rebuild our economy through real healthcare reform and the Employee Free Choice Act, as well as tackling the long-term challenges we face on the environment, keeping college education affordable and fixing our broken immigration system," said SEIU's Anna Burger.

Today's decision begins the last chapter in a story that began almost two years ago, when then-candidate Al Franken participated in SEIU's Walk a Day In My Shoes program, becoming the first Senate candidate to do so. Watch the video of Franken's WAD with SEIU member and nursing home worker Ulysses Bridges in Minnesota.

Timing matters and it's well past the time for Minnesota to recognize Al Franken as the duly elected Senator from Minnesota--and send him to Washington. "Minnesotans took the time to conduct an extensive and thorough recount process, but now that all reasonable legal options have been exhausted, Minnesota deserves its full representation in Congress," said Burger. "We call on Governor Pawlenty to pursue the state's best interests and end this contest instead of favoring those who would allow the recount to continue for purely partisan reasons."