Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Democrat Al Franken won a recount over Republican Norm Coleman in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race, a result Coleman’s campaign plans to challenge in court.

The tally, announced today by a state canvassing board in St. Paul, would raise the number of Senate seats controlled by Democrats to 59, one shy of the number required to bring legislation to a vote over the minority party’s objections. Franken led the recount by 225 votes out of about 2.4 million cast for the two men.

The state won’t officially declare a winner in the race until after legal challenges are completed. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement that Democrats won’t try to seat Franken tomorrow.

“I am proud and humbled to stand before you as the next senator of Minnesota,” Franken told reporters from the stoop of his Minneapolis home.

Coleman has refused to concede the race and his lawyer said he will file a legal challenge in the next 24 hours. “This process isn’t at the end,” said Coleman campaign lawyer Tony Trimble. “It is now just in the beginning.”

Reid told reporters in Washington that, “the race in Minnesota is over.” He called on Coleman to acknowledge Franken’s victory. In a statement tonight, he Coleman shouldn’t engage in a lengthy legal battle.

“However, there will not be an effort to seat Mr. Franken tomorrow,” the Nevada Democrat said.

Accurate as ‘Humanly Possible’

Canvassing Board member Kathleen Gearin in St. Paul stood by today’s decision. “We have acted in recognition that every vote is sacred,” she said. Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Richie said the results are “as accurate as was humanly possible.”

After the Nov. 4 election, Franken and Coleman were separated by just a few hundred votes out of 2.9 million cast for all candidates including minor party contestants, requiring a recount under Minnesota law.

The Democrats’ 59-41 margin in the Senate includes the Illinois seat formerly occupied by President-elect Barack Obama and now caught up in the controversy over the state’s governor, Rod Blagojevich, who is charged with trying to sell the seat.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s Delaware seat will go to Democrat Ted Kaufman, that state’s governor has announced. In Colorado, Michael Bennet, Denver’s public schools superintendent, was appointed to the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Ken Salazar, who was appointed interior secretary.

New York Governor David Paterson hasn’t yet named a replacement for Senator Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, who was named secretary of state. Caroline Kennedy is a leading candidate for the position.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Stern in Washington at cstern3@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 5, 2009 21:17 EST