Morse concedes defeat to Trump acolyte Bolduc in close New Hampshire GOP Senate primary

New Hampshire GOP Senate primary candidate Chuck Morse on Wednesday morning conceded defeat to rival and Trump supporter Don Bolduc, a retired general. 

However, the Associated Press as of mid-Wednesday morning had yet to call the race, with Bolduc having 37% of the vote and Morse 36%, with 86% of precincts reporting.

Morse tweeted early in the morning that he called Bolduc to congratulate him.

"It’s been a long night & we’ve come up short," he tweeted. "I want to thank my supporters for all the blood, sweat & tears they poured into this team effort."

This is a developing story ... 

The closely contested New Hampshire GOP Senate primary between a moderate state senator and Trump supporter Don Bolduc, a retired general, was as of early Wednesday morning still too close to call. 

Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, has led throughout the campaign and according to the most recent polling was ahead by double-digits going into election night Tuesday. 

However, he and GOP state Sen. Chuck Morse were still effectively deadlocked by mid-Wednesday morning, at 37% to 36%, with 86% of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press.

The winner will face Democrat incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, who won her primary Tuesday and in November will compete for a second term.

Republicans consider Hassan one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats this election cycle and have focused on winning her seat in their larger campaign to retake control of the 50-50 split Senate.

The high-stakes race has reportedly brought tens-of-millions of dollars into New Hampshire.

Democrats reportedly poured millions, including money for attack ads on Morse, into the GOP primary in hopes of helping Bolduc, whom they consider more beatable in November. 

Bolduc was not endorsed by former President Trump but like him argues there was enough voting fraud in the 2020 elections to cost Trump reelection. 

The Morse campaign reportedly got help from White Mountain PAC, a newly formed super PAC that allegedly has ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Tuesday effectively marked the last of this election cycle’s primaries, with Delaware and Rhode Island also holding races.