JUNEAU, Alaska — Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Wednesday apparently has become the first U.S. Senate candidate in more than 50 years to win a write-in campaign, defeating her Tea Party rival after a painstaking, week-long count of hand-written votes.

The victory completes a remarkable comeback for the Republican incumbent after her loss in the party primary to Joe Miller.

NBC: Murkowski beats Miller

Miller’s loss is a major rebuke for Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate who backed Miller and has long had a tense relationship with the Murkowski family. Miller’s defeat means Palin couldn’t deliver in her home state for a candidate she roundly endorsed.

NBC News has declared Murkowski the apparent winner in the race.

Murkowski’s victory became clear when Alaska election officials confirmed they had only about 700 votes left to count, putting Murkowski in safe territory to win re-election. Murkowski is flying back from Washington to Alaska on Wednesday to make an “exciting announcement,” proclaiming in an e-mail to supporters that the campaign “made history.”