Todd Gardenhire leads Greg Vital by 15 votes

Nearly 16,000 ballots were cast in the Republican race for Tennessee state Senate District 10, but only 15 votes make up the margin between Todd Gardenhire and Greg Vital.

Gardenhire, who holds the slimmest of leads, did not claim victory upon the counting of ballots late Thursday night, nor did Vital concede defeat. Provisional ballots and military overseas ballots remain to be counted and could be the determining factor of what had become a bitter race.

Gardenhire has 7,995 votes tallied. Vital has 7,980. 

Both Gardenhire and Vital are seeking the GOP nomination to the seat being vacated by outgoing state Sen. Andy Berke. Berke is currently running for Chattanooga mayor. 

The winner of the GOP race will face Chattanooga City Councilman Andraé McGary, who handily won the Democratic primary against Quenston Coleman and Hamilton County School Board member David Testerman. McGary scored 61.8 percent of votes in the primary. 

Nooga.com will have updates to this story as they become available.