(See my notes below the article.)Nov 8, 2:41 PM (ET)
GREAT FALLS, Montana (Reuters) - Democrat Jon Tester declared victory over Republican Sen. Conrad Burns in Montana on Wednesday in a close race that put the Democratic Party one seat away from controlling the U.S. Senate.
"We won this thing," Tester declared at a Great Falls news conference.
U.S. media called the election for Tester even as some results continued to be tallied after a night of uncertainly.
"It's over," Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who campaigned for Tester, said later by telephone. Burns is "no longer a U.S. senator come January."
Incumbent Burns, first elected in 1988, was tainted by links to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his campaign was marred by several gaffes. Montanans have traditionally voted Republicans.
Democrats now have 50 seats in the 100-seat U.S. Senate, with the only undecided contest in Virginia.
A recount would be allowed if the margin of victory in the official Montana tally is 0.5 percent or less of votes cast.
Unofficial results on the Montana secretary of state's office said Tester won 176,290 votes, compared to 174,316 for Burns.
"There is more than 3,000 votes, it's outside the 0.5 margin," Schweitzer said.
Tester said he had not heard from Burns and did not know if the Republican would push for a recount. Asked whether he was conceding defeat, an official from Burns' campaign office answered testily, "We can't tell you right now because the votes are not all counted."
ArticleNotes: According to Schweitzer, 3,000 votes is the 0.5% margin. However, according to the numbers from the Secretary of State's website, there was a margin of 1,974 votes. CNN reports votes of 198,302 to 195,455, yielding a vote margin of 2,847. Both of these numbers are under 3,000 votes, seemingly allowing a recount (if the 3,000 vote figure is correct).
