Several contested legislative primaries were going down to the wire Tuesday night.

The area’s races broke down like this:

Edward Walker pulled ahead in the Republic race for the seat in House District 29. The Yellowstone County Election’s Office reported Wednesday morning that the tally was Walker, 1,785, and Penny Morgan, 1,689. The two are battling to replace Dan McGee of Laurel, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. The district stretches from far west Billings into Carbon County.

Morgan is term-limited in House District 57, where she represented portions of Billings and Laurel for eight years. In that district, Republican voters chose Dan Kennedy, 1,370, over Debra Bonogofsky, 1,144.

Bonogofsky led early on, but Kennedy had pulled ahead by 164 votes with 2,300 votes counted. However, the Montana Secretary of State’s office reported that counting hadn’t been completed in a single precinct as midnight approached.

The winner advances to challenge Democrat Frederick Schweitzer in the November race for SD29.

Things were also getting close for John Esp and Joel Boniek in the hotly contested HD61 race in Sweet Grass and Park counties. Esp held a comfortable lead early on, but by 11:20 p.m. his margin had narrowed to 75 votes with all precincts reporting some results to the Secretary of State.

However, Sweet Grass County had submitted little ballot data to the state and Esp, of Big Timber, said he was picking up votes as the counting progressed.

Esp is an eight-year senator from the same region who was forced from office by term limits. Boniek is a one-term incumbent in HD61 who two years ago upset then-incumbent Bruce Malcolm. In the final days of this year’s primary battle, Esp was attacked by mostly anonymous fliers accusing him of being an anti-gun, pro-state-funded-abortion socialist who stood to benefit from federal global-warming legislation.

In Billings HD49, Republican candidates Thomas Baer Sr. and Shauna Kerr were separated by two votes, with Kerr holding the lead. Kassidy Olson was a distant third, with 620 counted. The winner will take on Mary McNally in the general election.

The district includes portions of north-central Billings. McNally easily defeated William Nigro in the Democratic primary.

The district’s incumbent, Kendall van Dyk, didn’t seek re-election, opting instead to run in SD25, currently held by Republican Roy Brown, a former gubernatorial candidate.

Van Dyk, a Democrat, defeated Linda Wetzel easily for the chance to take on Brown.

Other regional races weren’t as close.

In sprawling SD23, which begins on Billings’ northern outskirts and includes portions of Custer, Rosebud and Musselshell counties, Roundup resident Alan Olson was leading the pack and outpacing his closest opponent, Mark Noennig, by 700 votes with 4,247 ballots counted. However, Noennig, of Billings, was leading earlier in the night, and results from several precincts hadn’t yet been turned in.

Shepherd resident Wesley Prouse was in third place, 934 votes off the lead. Kathy Galbreath was a distant fourth to her three opponents, all of whom have successfully run for the Legislature previously.

The seat is being vacated by Roundup Republican Kelly Gebhardt, who is term-limited.

For lack of a Democratic challenger in the fall general election, the winner of the Republican primary secures a state Senate seat.

In HD39, Republican incumbent Lee Randall was pulling away from challenger Jesse Barnhart. The district includes portions of McCone, Dawson, Prairie, Fallon, Custer, Carter and Powder River counties.

Randall had 1,555 votes to Barnhart’s 914 with two-thirds of the precincts counted.

If Russell’s lead continues to grow, he will advance to face Democrat Cody Drew, who was unopposed in the primary.

In the western portion of the Billings Heights, Republican James Knox was defeating Charles Bott in HD47 by more than 700 votes for the chance to take on Democratic candidate Pam Ellis in November. Ellis was unopposed in the primary.

In Carbon and Stillwater counties, Republican Jason Priest was comfortably ahead of Scott Boggio to secure the party’s nomination for SD30. The winner moves on to face Democratic candidate Aaron D. Kampfe in November. Kampfe was unopposed in the primary.

In Sweet Grass and Park counties, Republican Ron Arthun was leading a three–candidate race to replace John Esp in SD31. Pat Wagman was a close second. Tom Shellenberg was a distant third.