After a bitter contest, a major upset has taken place in Alaska and another incumbent has gone down. Sen. Lisa Murkowski conceded her GOP Senate primary race Tuesday night to Tea Party favorite and Sarah Palin-backed Joe Miller.

Miller, a Fairbanks attorney, led by 1,630 votes after more than 15,000 absentee ballots were counted late Tuesday, a week after the election.

“I don’t see a scenario in which the primary will turn out in my favor,” Murkowski said in her concession speech.

Even though things turned ugly in recent days with Miller accusing Murkowski of vote tampering, and Murkowski saying that Miller was inexperienced and paranoid, Miller is asking Alaskans to come together.

“Now is the time for all Alaskans to come together and reach out with our core message of taking power from the federal government and bringing it back home to the people. If we continue to allow the federal government to live beyond its means, we will all soon have to live below ours,” he said in a statement.

Miller will face Democrat Scott McAdams, mayor of Sitka, Alaska, in the November general election.

“I look forward to the challenge of the general election ahead,” Miller said. “I intend to continue to travel to every corner of Alaska talking to folks about the answers needed to get our nation back on track and keep the American dream alive for ourselves and our children.”

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