Joe Miller, the Republican candidate who is poised to knock off Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) in a primary contest, said Thursday he is concerned she will launch a protracted legal battle to save her seat. 
 
 Miller, an Iraq war veteran who received the backing of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), emerged from the election Tuesday night with a narrow lead over Murkowski, an incumbent who assumed the seat from her father. 
 
 
 
 But officials are still counting absentee ballots in the close race, and a lawyer for the GOP Senate campaign committee is heading to Alaska to assist the senator. 
 
 
 
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 "We are looking right now to make sure that the election — that the votes — are accounted for fairly, without any type of game play," Miller said in an interview on Fox Business Network. "It concerns us any time somebody lawyers up and tries to pull an Al Franken, if you will. We are very concerned that there may be some attempt here to skew the results." 
 
 Alaska officials will start counting absentee ballots next Tuesday, but observers expect a protracted process to determine the winner. 
 
 Miller was referring to the 2008 Minnesota Senate contest that pitted now-Sen. Al Franken (D) against then-Sen. Norm Coleman (R). Coleman's razor-thin lead the morning after election night triggered an automatic recount that resulted in an eight-month legal battle. 
 
 The candidate expressed concern specifically about the lawyer sent to help Murkowski. 
 
 
 
 "You know we are concerned," he said. "We’ve got, I think, some game play going on here with the national Republican Senatorial Committee meddling in our primary election.” 
 
 
 
 Democrats have pounced on the election results, painting them as an example of GOP infighting that could do in the party in the November midterms. 
 
 
 
 They have also portrayed the election as another potential victory for a Tea Party-backed candidate, a group which Democrats have said is outside the mainstream. 
 
 The primary campaign was contentious and drew national attention in its final days due to Palin's involvement. Murkowski was critical of Palin for writing a Facebook note calling her part of the problem in Washington and referencing the fact that she was appointed to the seat by her father, then-Gov. Frank Murkowski, who was unseated by Palin in 2006. 
 
 
 
 For his part, Miller expressed confidence in the support he has received and predicted he would emerge victorious, barring any "game play." 
 
 
 
 "But, we believe as soon as the votes get counted, if there is not any game play, we are going to come out where we are now.” ||||| Posted: 09:30 PM ET 
 
 From CNN’s Abby Livingston and Joe Von Kanel 
 
 Washington (CNN) - Joe Miller is giving up, but he isn’t standing down. 
 
 He also needs Senator Lisa Murkowski’s phone number. Miller won Alaska’s Republican U.S. Senate primary, lost the general election to a write-in campaign waged by incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, then unsuccessfully challenged the results in court. Today in Anchorage, he told supporters the time has come, " to accept the practical realities of our current legal circumstances. We shall abide by the court's decisions even if we do not agree with them." 
 
 He also sounded a defiant note, adding: “I know for a fact that standing down is not an option, and I will continue to sound the alarm about our state and the nation.” 
 
 Eleven minutes after his news conference, Senator Murkowski’s campaign issued the following statement, “I was glad to learn that Joe Miller has bowed to the rulings of the Alaska courts and decided to abandon his challenges. Although certification was a long time coming, it does not diminish the historic accomplishment of our campaign. All Alaskans, regardless of how they voted, can be assured that I will continue to work in Alaska’s interest for the next six years.” 
 
 In his first interview after his public concession, Miller appeared on “John King, USA,” where CNN’s Ed Henry asked him if he had called Murkowski to personally concede. Miller said, “I have not called her. In fact, I don't have her number.” When asked if he had sought out her phone number through the Alaska GOP, he answered, "Well, I think we already have conceded. We've asked for it before. I don't have it." 
 
 After the brutal campaign, Miller also addressed any unresolved issues with the Murkowski camp, “Well, I'm not going to talk about sour grapes. There are a lot of things during the campaign that obviously I think should have been done differently, but frankly, what this is about is two completely different ideologies.” 
 
 He added, “We have no ill will toward Senator Murkowski. We have absolutely nothing to dispute as far as the finality of this race right now, but we have significant differences of opinion about where this nation needs to head.” 
 
 Miller was also asked if there was anything to be read into his highest profile backer, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, taking a lower profile in the campaign while the courts sorted out a resolution. Miller said, “Not at all. In fact, the argument that was had during the … post-race, is a legal argument. It's not one where campaigning is appropriate. It's not one where somebody gets out and starts making stump speeches for a candidate. Certainly, SARAHPAC donated to our recount fund. We're very gracious to have received that. A number of other groups, a number of other people also donated. Senator Demint was key to assisting in that effort as well, and they certainly continue to stand behind us.” 
 
 Filed under: JKUSA
– Still no winner in the Alaska Senate race, but Joe Miller retains his slim lead and incumbent Lisa Murkowski continues to deflect (but not deny) speculation that she's considering a third-party run. Also, still no love lost between candidates, notes the Hill: Upon hearing that the GOP Senate campaign committee is sending a lawyer to help Murkowski, Miller declared, "It concerns us any time somebody lawyers up and tries to pull an Al Franken, if you will. We are very concerned that there may be some attempt here to skew the results." With about 20,000 absentee or questioned ballots still to be counted, Miller leads by 1,668 votes, reports the Anchorage Daily News. He's confident of victory, as rumors fly in the state that Murkowski could run against him in the fall on the Libertarian ticket. The party's current candidate says he'd be willing to step aside for her.