Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) narrowly defeated independent Dan Osborn in the Nebraska Senate race on Tuesday night, overcoming a surprisingly competitive challenge in an otherwise Republican stronghold.

Fischer, elected to a third term, led Osborn 51.5%-48.5% when the Associated Press called the contest at 12:03 a.m. ET, with about 72% of ballots counted.

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Osborn, a former labor leader, mounted what was initially a long-shot bid against the two-term incumbent that sent Republicans into a last-minute panic over narrow polling headed into the election.

There was no Democratic candidate. Osborn initially planned to accept the party’s endorsement following the primaries but later recanted.

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Senate Democrats saw the seat as an unexpected pickup opportunity in the final weeks of the campaign as they faced difficult but vital reelections in other states to keep their majority, forcing Republicans to divert at least some valuable resources and attention to the race.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.