Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) conceded defeat last night in her tight primary battle with conservative lawyer Joe Miller.
Miller, a little known attorney who gained support from Tea Party activists, including an endorsement from fellow Alaskan Sarah Palin, led the incumbent Murkowski by just over 1,600 votes after most absentee ballots were counted.
Miller’s victory adds another name to the growing list of conservative Republican candidates vying to shake up Washington. That list includes primary winners Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ken Buck (Colo.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).
Murkowski becomes the third establishment-backed incumbent to lose a senate primary race this year, joining Bob Bennett (R-Utah) and Arlen Specter (D-Pa.). Miller will face Democrat Scott McAdams, a small-town mayor, in the state’s general election this November…