VANCOUVER, Wash. – City Councilman Tim Leavitt held onto the lead over the 14-year incumbent Royce Pollard Tuesday night in a hard-fought race for mayor.

But Leavitt stopped short of declaring victory on election night; instead, he said he wanted to wait until more votes were counted on Wednesday.

With about 7,000 votes left to be counted late Tuesday night, Leavitt led by 1,700 votes with more than 53 percent of the vote to Pollard’s 46 percent.

A celebration was already underway for Leavitt, and he said the margin so far is bigger than even he expected.

“Extremely elated with the results tonight,” Leavitt said. “You know, we worked our tails off. I’m pleased with our campaign and our supporters. We really focused on the issues.”

Incumbent Royce Pollard said he’s not ready to concede.

“It’s disappointing, but I don’t give up. I’m not giving up until the last vote is counted,” he said.

Voters dropping off ballots just hours before the polls closed said the crucial issues in the campaign were leadership and whether tolls were a good idea for funding construction of a new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River.

The issue of tolls was one of the more contentious issues in the campaign. Pollard said he supported the use of tolls but Leavitt said the tolls Pollard proposed were too high.

The contest was being called the costliest in the city’s history.

Pollard spent more than $144,000 and Leavitt spent $166,000.