And as Michael Gunner points out: it's not over yet.

Vote counting continues on Sunday but the Labor leader is confident his party will form the next NT government.

"This has been a hard fight in a tough year. 2020 - bloody hell," he told an adoring group of a couple of hundred party faithful overnight.

Darwin's Waratah Football Club was a sea of Labor red shirts on Saturday night.

They chanted "four more years" after it became clear the party had staved off the Country Liberal Party and newcomers, Territory Alliance.

"I am very confident Labor will form the next government of the Northern Territory," Mr Gunner said.

The former Big W shelf-stacker, aged 44, campaigned hard on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, telling voters he's the man to see the NT through the crisis.

"The most important battle of 2020 is not a contest between political parties. It is a bigger fight, a fight that affects all of us that requires all our effort to keep protecting Territorians," he said.

During his 10-minute address, the leader thanked his deputy and treasurer, Nicole Manison, who comfortably retained her seat.

"The best wing-woman I could ever ask for, you are a champion human being," Mr Gunner said.

"Let's celebrate tonight, a beer or two, then tomorrow it is back to work for the people of the Territory and for the next four years."

The likely victory comes eight months after Mr Gunner suffered a heart attack while at home with his pregnant wife, ABC journalist Kristy O'Brien.

"It came from nowhere, there were no warning signs," he wrote on Facebook in January.

He was rushed to a hospital and later underwent surgery.

Three months later the chief minister returned to hospital for better news - the birth of his son Hudson Gunner over the Easter long weekend in April.

But Hudson arrived amid the coronavirus crisis, just weeks after Mr Gunner ordered the Territory's borders closed.

Australian Associated Press