Republican Tim Sheehy triumphed over third-term Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in Montana’s crucial Senate race, expanding the GOP majority in the Senate.

Sheehy led Tester 53%-45% when the race was called by the Associated Press at 6:26 a.m. EST on Wednesday.

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The bitter contest was the most competitive in the country as the de facto majority-maker seat, holding the most sway over which party would control the Senate. But by the time the race was called, Republicans had already retaken the chamber by flipping blue seats in the red states of West Virginia and Ohio.

Sheehy praised Tester, who was first elected to the Senate in 2006, for his “many decades of service to the state and country.”

“You may disagree with him on policy, but it’s a tough job,” Sheehy told supporters at his watch party.

In addition to helping propel Republicans back into the Senate majority in Washington, Sheehy’s win means that the GOP in Montana will achieve a feat only seen once before in the state’s history: A sweep of its Senate seats, governor’s mansion, and both legislative chambers at the same time. Republicans have not concurrently held them all since 1896.

Tester’s bid for a fourth term slowly slipped away in the campaign’s final months, as election forecasters and polling gave Sheehy the upper hand heading into the election.

Tester, a third-generation dirt farmer in rural Montana, wished Sheehy the best and said he plans to use his upcoming free time to spend more time on the farm and restoring cars with his son.

“I’m very blessed. I’ve had a great 18 years in the United States Senate,” Tester said in his concession speech. “I’ve met some incredible people along the way and had the opportunity to do some great things to help move this state forward and the country forward.”

The contest was the costliest in Montana’s history and the most expensive Senate race on a per-vote basis in U.S. history. Some $250 million was spent between Democrats and Republicans in a state with a population of just over 1.1 million.

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Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and wealthy business owner, faced several controversies in the campaign’s closing months, including discrepancies over why he was discharged from service and how he obtained a past bullet wound, making racially charged remarks about Native Americans, and scrutiny over the aerial firefighting company he founded.  

Still, the Republican challenger eked out a victory that was buoyed by former President Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, who carried the state by double digits.