Soon after Sen. Al Franken was sworn in Tuesday, Salisbury had a barber shave off the beard he grew over the eight months the race lingered.
Salisbury vowed on Nov. 5 - the day after the election ended in recount territory - that he wouldn't shave until the contest concluded and a senator took the oath. He thought he'd have a clean face by Christmas.
But the race stretched from the recount to a courtroom battle that wasn't settled until June 30.
Salisbury has been on the paper's political staff for three decades, but he didn't cover the day-to-day developments in the race.
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