Senate primary liveblog coverage

8:24 p.m.

And they're off. The numbers have begun to flow. With all of 2 percent of precincts reporting, Attorney General Martha Coakley is winning, with 48 percent, to 25 percent for Capuano, 16 for Alan Khazei, and 11 for Stephen Pagliuca. Republican Scott Brown has 89 percent, compared with 11 for businessman Jack E. Robinson. But that's just 2 percent.

8:29

Scott Brown has won the Republican primary, the AP projects.

8:35 p.m.

There was laughing, chattering, and a smattering of applause as word that the AP had declared their candidate the victor filtered through the crowd at the party for supporters of GOP candidate Scott Brown. Supporters were mingling at the Boston Marriott Newton, snacking on appetizers, sipping wine and beer, with country music on the sound system. Signs on stage proclaimed "Bold New Leadership." The candidate is not expected to speak until 10 p.m.

8:38 p.m.

The Boston Sheraton ballroom doors just opened for Martha Coakley's election night party, letting in a sea of supporters who drifted toward the cheese plates. A few began to applaud as New England Cable News showed the early results trickling in -- Coakley leading Capuano 48-25 percent with just 3 percent of precincts reporting. Onstage is a band called Blue Soul, whose member Deric Dyer is Coakley's next-door neighbor in Medford. A crew just finished setting up huge klieg lights in front of a stage backed by a huge American flag. It all looks dramatic and professional but the outcome of today's unusual election remains unpredictable, even for the frontrunner's campaign team, which didn't conduct any exit polls. Earlier tonight, Coakley was rehearsing both an acceptance speech and a concession speech, NECN reported minutes ago.

8:40 p.m.
Scott Brown's campaign manager, Beth Lindstrom, took the stage at the Boston Marriott Newton to announce that the AP had declared him the winner in the GOP primary. "Isn't that great? They called it for Scott," she said to cheers and applause. "It wouldn't have happened without you getting out there, and calling, calling, calling."

8:43 p.m.
At the Park Plaza Hotel, two rooms of Alan Khazei supporters gathered, with a median age of about 25. Volunteer Sandy Kautz of Roslindale, who worked the polls, said, “I was surprised at how many people said yes, gave me a thumbs up, when they went into the polls.”

8:50 p.m.
One thing seems obvious: Alan Khazei and Stephen Pagliuca have not won. With 35 percent of precincts reporting, Khazei has 13 percent of the vote and Pagliuca has 12 percent. It seems impossible for them to close that gap.

8:52 p.m.

Martha Coakley has won the Democratic primary, AP projects.

8:54 p.m.

A cheer went across the Sheraton Boston ballroom when AP called the race for Coakley.

9:09

The crowd at the Capuano party at the Copley Fairmont Plaza is subdued and downcast and looking to hear from their champion shortly.

9:17

Senate President Therese Murray arrived at Coakley's party at the Boston Sheraton and basked in the win for a woman. "She won and she won big. And she won with such high numbers. This is certainly a mandate from the people that they want to see a change," Murray said.

9:21

Capuano is addressing supporters at the Copley Fairmont Plaza.

9:22

Capuano: "I want to congratulate the next senator of Massachusetts, Martha Coakley. She ran a good campaign and it was a good, clean campaign. I want to be there to make her the next senator."

9:28

Capuano: "In the final analysis, name recognition matters, the attorney general was a pretty good candidate, she didn't make any slipups, and we just couldn't narrow the gap."

9:31

Capuano to his mother who just turned 90: "Mom, I was looking for a better present."

9:34

Pagliuca is addressing supporters at his concession speech.

9:38

Pagliuca: "We've really got to reverse this problem of unemployment and I'll work with the nominee to get that done."

9:41

Pagliuca: Coakley "ran a fantastic race. ... She'll be a strong, progressive leader for our state."

9:46

US Representative Niki Tsongas, who attended Coakley's party, said, "It feels great. Diversity has been needed in our Massachusetts delegation and I think diversity is much-needed in the Senate as well." Looking forward, Tsongas said she expected the race to be "a spirited one."

9:52

"He didn't let us down. The sleeping voters did, the ones who didn't get out and vote," said John Sullivan of Somerville, a Capuano supporter, as the party began to wind down at the Copley Fairmont.

10:01

Brown, in his victory speech to supporters, says voters have a choice: "Send another partisan placeholder to the United States Senate or we can try something new, we can elect an independent voice for all of Massachusetts -- and that's the US senator I promise to be."

10:07

Brown: "Never underestimate the independent spirit of Massachusetts. A year has passed since one-party rule came to Washington and the last thing we need is more of it."

10:10

Brown: "The machine politicians and the special interests do not own Massachusetts anymore and they're going to find that out on Jan. 19 with your help," he said.

10:13

Brown: "I believe in limited government and the boundless power of the free market to create jobs and wealth for our people."

10:14

US Senator John F. Kerry, warming up the crowd at Coakley's party: "We are closer than ever to passing health care for Americans and we need another Democratic senator in order to be able to do that."

10:15

Coakley takes the stage as supporters cheer wildly.

10:19

Coakley: "We did what might have seemed impossible with your help."

10:22

Coakley asked for people to honor the late Senator Kennedy, not with a moment of silence but with "a huge round of applause." They did.

10:27

Coakley: People said women didn't have much luck in politics in Massachusetts. She said her campaign believed that that luck was about to change and "change it did tonight."

10:38

Khazei told his supporters: "We all came into this campaign knowing the climb was steep, the calendar short and the odds long, but you were so committed to the idea that citizens matter and can make a difference that you sacrificed and worked and, boy, did you work, and you brought pride to the campaign and the Commonwealth." A campaign aide, looking at the results on the screen, said, "I didn't work this hard to do this badly."

10:41

The Kennedy family issued a statement congratulating Coakley and saying they believed she would represent the people of the state with "honor and deep commitment."

10:49

Since winning the nomination tonight, Coakley has received calls of congratulations from several of those close to the late senator – including his widow, Vicki, and two sons, Ted Kennedy Jr. and US Representative Patrick Kennedy – as well as President Bill Clinton, Senator Chris Dodd, and Senator Paul Kirk.