U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken has had a momentous couple of weeks, confirming the general assumption that Minnesota is a state to watch in November. Franken topped Republican Senator Norm Coleman in 4th-quarter fundraising, won a major endorsement, and also released his first two TV ads.

Franken announced last week that he raised $1.9 million during the last three months of 2007, eclipsing by $200,000 Coleman's announced 4th-quarter fundraising. Through the previous FEC filing deadline Franken had raised $5.2 million, almost entirely from individual contributions, compared to Coleman's $4.9 million.

Mike Ciresi, Franken's chief competition for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination, has yet to announce his 4th-quarter fundraising total; he raised just over $1 million through September 30. Ciresi, who is chairman of a large Minneapolis law firm, finished second in the 2000 DFL Senate primary to Mark Dayton, and considered a second run for the seat in 2006. His fundraising will likely need to pick up if he is to compete through the DFL state convention in June, when the party will endorse a candidate, though he can probably self-fund his campaign until then.

On Wednesday, Franken received the endorsment of Education Minnesota, the largest labor union in the state with roughly 70,000 members. The union is encouraging its members to attend the February 5 caucuses and become Franken delegates to the DFL convention. The union's statewide membership should also offer Franken a boost in the general election.

The two ads Franken released this week offer a glimpse into his campaign's early strategy: proving his Minnesota roots and his commitment to taking the job seriously, two areas of criticism where the "Saturday Night Live" alum is vulnerable. One ad shows Franken walking down a residential street in his hometown of St. Louis Park, Minn., the other features his fourth-grade teacher referring to him as "Allen." At the end of both ads, Franken states that he is "serious" about representing the state in Congress. Neither ad mentions Coleman or Ciresi.

Coleman's reelection bid was given cause for concern when Democrat Amy Klobuchar delivered a crushing 20-point defeat to Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy in the 2006 election for the open Senate seat. Also in 2006, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty squeaked out a 1-point victory over Attorney General Mike Hatch thanks to embarrassing gaffes by Hatch and his running mate in the final days of the race.

Franken is already relatively well-known around the state, and it appears he will be able to fund a statewide race through November. If he wins the DFL endorsement in June, and if necessary the September primary, the forthcoming general election campaign with Coleman will likely be amongst the most competitive Senate races in the country this year - and certainly an entertaining one to watch.

--Kyle Trygstad