Contested political offices

Roland Burris, the would-be senator from Illinois, got a cool reception when he tried to show up for his first day of work. Al Franken was declared the winner of the disputed Minnesota senate race, but he’ll likely have to go through more legal wrangling before he can claim his seat.

In politics, it isn’t over until it’s over…and even then, some close races don’t ever seem to end.

In light of the recent Burris and Franken episodes, Time magazine took a look back at some of history’s Top Contested Officeholders. Here’s what the editors came up with:

Roland Burris/Al Franken, U.S. Senate, 2008

Hiram R. Revels, U.S. Senate, 1870

Adam Clayton Powell, U.S. House, 1967

Rutherford B. Hayes, U.S. President, 1876

Mary Landrieu, U.S. Senate, 1996

Frank Smith, U.S. Senate, 1926

John Durkin, U.S. Senate, 1974

Theodore. G. Bilbo, U.S. Senate, 1946

George W. Bush, U.S. President, 2000

Frank McCloskey, U.S. House, 1984

To find out what made these races so controversial, visit Time.
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