Minn. Senate race tops $50 million: AP

The costs of the protracted Minnesota Senate race have exceeded $50 million, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

After months of legal wrangling and appeals over the outcome of the race, the AP reported that the campaigns have spent $13 million since Election Day after raising a combined $37 million for the election itself.

Democrat Al Franken’s campaign told The Hill that it had lined up some staff members for once the final decision had been made, but lamented an inability to spend more money on staff because an office budget concordant with the Senate seat has not yet been granted.

The campaigns will meet again before the Minnesota Supreme Court on Monday for oral arguments in former Sen. Norm Coleman’s (R) appeal of a panel’s certification of Franken’s 312-vote lead in the race.