Sen. Lisa Murkowski Concedes to Joe Miller in Alaska GOP Primary

Sen. Lisa Murkowski has conceded the Republican Senate primary to Joe Miller, giving the Tea Party favorite a stunning upset a full week after Alaska voters went to the polls.

"I don't see a scenario in which the primary will turn out in my favor," Murkowski said in her concession speech in Anchorage Tuesday night.

Only 1,668 votes separated the two candidates after last week's voting, and officials began counting absentee and other outstanding ballots Tuesday. Murkowski made slight gains as the day went on, but was never able to get Miller's lead below 1,200 votes, according to The Associated Press.

Murkowski said she called Miller, a Fairbanks attorney, to tell him of her decision shortly before making the announcement on live television. She praised her staff for keeping the campaign on the "high road."

"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," Miller said in a written statement. "If we continue to allow the federal government to live beyond its means, we will all soon have to live below ours."

The Kansas-born war hero and West Point graduate won despite being outspent 20-1 by Murkowski, who was seeking her second full term. She was appointed to the seat in 2002 to succeed her father, Frank Murkowski, who went on to become governor.

The 43-year-old Miller rode a wave of Tea Party support while attacking the senator as a big-spending Washington insider. He got the backing of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a longtime Murkowski foe, who made last-minute robo-calls accusing the senator of voting "with the Democrats more than any Republican up for re-election this year."

Miller will face Democrat Scott McAdams in the November general election.