Democrats are poised to snag a statewide office that has eluded them for generations if Nick Mansour can hold onto his lead in the Arizona treasurer’s race.

A Democrat has not been elected to that office since 1964.

Mansour, a former chairman and CEO of the Arizona College of Nursing, was leading businessman Elijah Norton 55% to 45% as of 12 a.m. Wednesday, according to unofficial results from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

If those results hold, Mansour will replace Republican Treasurer Kimberly Yee, who is leaving the position and currently trailing Democrat Terry Leyba Ruiz in the state superintendent of public instruction race.

“Obviously, it feels great, but we’re a long way from there,” Mansour told the Arizona Capitol Times at a watch party hosted by the Arizona Democrats Tuesday night.

The race centered on disagreements over how the state should invest its money. Mansour proposed increasing the percentage of stocks the state holds to boost yields, while Norton favored keeping the stock-to-bond ratio the same to ensure security.

The contest for state treasurer — historically an off-the-radar race — was also marked by intense personal attacks as the candidates accused each other of exploitative business practices. Each has threatened to sue over what they say are their opponent’s false statements.

“There’s a lot of people that are just sick of the direction of our country and our state, and they’re ready for a change,” Mansour said. “Hopefully, that holds up.”

He added his campaign had appealed to independent voters by focusing on affordability.

Norton’s campaign has not yet made a public statement on the current results.

Although Norton massively outspent Mansour, recent polls have shown the two vying for the lead in the race. A HighGround Public Affairs survey from Oct. 27 had Mansour ahead at 47% to Norton’s 41%, while an internal poll by the Norton campaign placed him ahead at 43% to 41%.