Republican candidate Jinyoung Lee Englund, who was running against Democrat Manka Dhingra, has conceded in the race for the 45th state Legislative district Senate seat.

In a press release sent out today, Englund said she had called Dhingra to congratulate her on her electoral victory.

Current ballot counts place Dhingra with 55 percent of the votes, and Englund with the remaining 45 percent.

“From the beginning, we knew we were the underdogs,” Englund said in the release. “And yet, you all still said YES to the call to serve a purpose higher than self. That purpose was a balance of power in our state and honoring the legacy of the late Senator Andy Hill.”

Englund thanked her supporters for helping her run her campaign, and urged Dhingra to “be a voice that represents all of us in the 45th Legislative District.”

The race for the 45th district Senate seat was the most expensive in Washington state history, with figures pegging the total spent at around $9 million by the candidates and outside groups.

This was because the winner would decide the balance of power in the state Senate.

With Dhingra’s victory, Democrats have a one-vote majority in the Senate, as well as control of the House and Governor’s office.

With the results of the election, Washington joins Oregon and California as part of what is being described as a “Blue Wall,” where Democrats control the state government all down the West Coast.

The seat will be up for election again in 2018 as Tuesday’s vote was part of a special election.

Hill, who Englund referenced in her concession, was voted in again in the previous election. He died in office last year after a battle with cancer. Hill was a Republican, and Dino Rossi was selected to replace him, but chose not to run.

Rossi has announced his intention to run for Congress in the 8th district.