REFILE-Republican Coleman ends fight for US Senate seat

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ST. PAUL, Minn., June 30 (Reuters) - Republican Norm Coleman on Tuesday conceded the tightly contested race for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat and congratulated Democrat Al Franken after a protracted recount.

Coleman, who held the seat for one term, said he would abide by the decision of the Minnesota Supreme Court which turned down Coleman's appeal that thousands more absentee ballots be counted.

(Reporting by Todd Melby; Writing by Andrew Stern; Editing by Will Dunham)