Al Franken officially got more votes than Norm Coleman in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race, but he won’t be heading to Washington today after all. Democratic leaders in the Senate now state they won’t try to seat him for swearing in of new senators. But here at home, talk is turning to money.

Originally estimated at around $75,000, the cost of the 62-day statewide hand recount of ballots is coming in at more than double that amount. “This is going to cost somewhere around $200,000 or a little more,” Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says.

And, speaking of cash, Norm Coleman needs some. His campaign says it’ll challenge the State Canvassing Board’s results and is expected to file suit soon, possibly today. According to KSTP, his campaign sent out a fundraising email last night. What the campaign needs to continue pursuing the seat? “Lots of money: That’s a safe bet,” said Coleman lawyer Fritz Knaak. “It’s going to be expensive, but we know that it’s not taxpayer expense. We’re at the part of the process where it’s the parties that bear the brunt of it.”

But donors should keep in mind their gifts might not go toward the recount challenge at all. In mid-December, Coleman’s campaign stated that it plans on using political contributions to cover “legal fees related to what we believe to be a politically inspired legal action” — a pair of lawsuits that mention Coleman and top donor Nasser Kazeminy.