ATLANTA — Republican voters in Georgia chose David Perdue as their Senate nominee after a bruising nine-week runoff.
Businessman Perdue beat Rep. Jack Kingston by just over 1 percent in a late-night finish. Kingston conceded the race just before 11 p.m.
It was 18 months on the campaign trail, including 15 debates and thousands of calls to voters.
Perdue will compete against Democrat Michelle Nunn for a seat Republicans can ill afford to lose as they look to take control of the Senate.
The race between Kingston and Perdue remained neck-and-neck throughout most of Tuesday night.
The closely-watched campaign was shaped largely by each candidate's personal history rather than the issues. The two are both conservatives in a state that has been dominated in recent years by Republicans who hold every statewide office.
The race focused on whether Kingston's 11 terms in Congress were an asset or a liability, a sign he's a proven conservative or part of the gridlock in Washington. Voters apparently believed he was part of the gridlock in Washington.