Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie has refused to concede defeat in the seat of Forde despite a hefty swing against Labor on Saturday.
Mr Beattie needed a 1.6 per cent swing in his favour, something he described as "bloody difficult" earlier in the day, to unseat Liberal incumbent Bert van Manen.
With 71.23 per cent of the votes counted Mr Beattie's position appeared hopeless with Mr van Manen leading 54.31 per cent to 45.69 per cent after preferences.
But the star Labor candidate is refusing to throw in the towel, hoping 8,500 pre-poll votes will somehow swing the result in his favour.
"They will determine whether we win or not," Mr Beattie told supporters at his campaign headquarters on Saturday night.
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Despite the hefty 2.68 per cent swing in his favour, Mr van Manen was also refusing to call the race over.
"Some booths have only just finished counting, so we'll see what the results are in the morning," he told AAP.
"I think we're close, but we're not there yet."
Both major parties took a hit in their overall share of the vote, with Palmer United Party candidate Blair Brewster picking up just over 12 per cent of the vote.
Palmer United preferences in Forde have been given to the Liberals, and Mr Beattie acknowledged that had hurt his chances.
"The odds are against us, but who knows?," he said.
