Former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., said he will not run for public office again.
Franken, 73, a comedian and political satirist known mainly for his work on "Saturday Night Live," told The Hill on Wednesday he was ruling out any future campaigns.
"I don't think I'll be running again," Franken said. "I'm not ruling it ... I'm ruling it out, yea."
Franken was elected to the Senate in 2008, defeating Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman by 312 votes. He easily won re-election in 2014 but resigned in disgrace in 2018 after multiple women accused him of sexual impropriety. Franken denied the allegations but apologized that he made women feel uncomfortable.
Seven Democrat senators told The New Yorker in 2019 they regretted calling for Franken's resignation and Franken told The Washington Post in 2022 that he regretted resigning.
Franken was replaced by Democrat Sen. Tina Smith, who recently plans to retire and not seek another term, stoking speculation Franken might run again in 2026.
Franken is promoting his role in the upcoming Netflix series "The Resistance," where he plays a fictional senator. The series is described as a "zany whodunit revolving around the inner workings of the White House."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.