After jumping out to a shocking early lead over incumbent Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, former state Representative Mary Waters has seen her cushion reduced to nothing with two-thirds of all 13th Congressional District primary votes counted.

With 70 percent reporting, the race is now tied between the two 38 percent to 38 percent.

Fellow Democrat Martha Scott is now a distant third with 24 percent of the vote.

With 13 percent of votes recorded earlier in the sweltering Detroit evening, Waters enjoyed a remarkable 25-point lead over Kilpatrick (45 percent to 20 percent).

Some two hours later, Waters’ campaign, partying somewhat unassumingly at (of all places) a Fuddruckers, is now predicting a 50-50 chance for their upstart, underfunded underdog.

Supporters worried about Kilpatrick’s chances back in the home district what with her son, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick embroiled in a long-running scandal. Still, Kilpatrick handily out-raised and outspent her opponents and brought in heavies like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to campaign for her in Detroit.

Stay tuned for a report from Michigan Messenger Fellow Minni Forman, who is at the Fuddruckers with the Waters camp.