Comedian Al Franken grabbed the Democratic nomination Tuesday for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, setting up a showdown with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman that had been years in the making.

Franken, who gained fame as a “Saturday Night Live” cast member, easily beat six other candidates chasing the Democratic nod. Coleman trounced his only opponent, an expatriate living in Italy.

They’ll share the ballot with Dean Barkley of the Independence Party, which has factored into the outcome of some statewide races in recent elections. Barkley was briefly in the Senate when he was appointed by then-Gov. Jesse Ventura in 2002 to complete the late Paul Wellstone’s term.

Franken’s celebrity both helped and hurt him in the leadup to Tuesday. His coast-to-coast recognition enabled him to amass an impressive bankroll for a first-time candidate, but archives full of racy material provided ammunition to Republicans and his most visible Democratic rival, attorney Priscilla Lord Faris.

Lord Faris, part of a well-regarded family in state Democratic politics, criticized Franken for “angry and offensive public behavior” and said he’d be too easy a target for Coleman and his allies.

Franken had the party brass behind him after winning the Democratic endorsement in June. Despite attracting six Democratic opponents, Franken put his whole focus on Coleman, and wound up cruising in the primary. With 18 percent of precincts reporting, he had 70 percent of the vote to Lord Faris’ 27 percent.

Two Republicans battled in southern Minnesota for the chance to unseat Rep. Tim Walz, who rode a Democratic tidal wave into Congress in 2006. Dr. Brian Davis had the GOP endorsement, but couldn’t take state Sen. Dick Day for granted.

Much of the election action involved seats in the Minnesota Legislature. Twenty-seven primaries were needed to whittle down the fields for state House seats and there was one state Senate vacancy that needed sorting out. The highlights:

—In Anoka, six-term Rep. Jim Abeler attracted a fellow Republican challenger. Businessman Don Huizenga went after Abeler for supporting a transportation bill with several tax increases, which was enacted over Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto.

—In Bloomington, the transportation veto override also loomed large in Republican Rep. Neil Peterson’s race because of his support for the bill. He was trying to fend off consultant Jan Schneider.

—Five Democrats were in the hunt for a Duluth-area seat being vacated by 16-term Rep. Mike Jaros. The primary winner’s ticket was all but punched for St. Paul, judging by the easy victories Jaros routinely had.

—State Rep. Mark Olson of Big Lake looked for redemption after being snubbed by the House GOP following his 2007 domestic assault conviction. Olson sought the Republican Party’s nomination for state Senate, carrying the party endorsement into his primary against Alison Krueger, who had the backing of Senate leaders. Incumbent Sen. Betsy Wergin gave up the seat to accept a position on the Public Utilities Commission.