Green Party leader Clare Bailey has lost her seat in South Belfast as the Alliance Party gained a second in the constituency.
Paula Bradshaw was re-elected while Belfast lord mayor Kate Nicholl also secured her place at Stormont for Alliance.
Sinn Féin Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, who was co-opted to the constituency in 2020 to replace former Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, topped the poll with more than 9,500 first-preference votes.
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DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots achieved more than 7,200 first-preferences and was elected on the fifth count, succeeding party colleague Christopher Stalford who died suddenly in February.
The SDLP's Matthew O'Toole, who was co-opted to replace Claire Hanna after she became South Belfast MP, received almost 5,400 first-preferences and was elected on the sixth count.
A heavily pregnant Ms Nicholl, who is expecting her second child in two weeks, embraced her husband Fergal Sherry and party colleagues as she was deemed elected on the eighth count - securing the final seat.
She received 5,201 first-preferences. The Green Party's Ms Bailey received 4,058 first-preferences but it was not enough to save the seat she has held since 2016.
Born in Zimbabwe, Ms Nicholl's mother is from South Africa and her father from Co Down in Northern Ireland.
The Balmoral area councillor moved to Belfast around the age of 13 when violence broke out in Zimbabwe in 2000.
Ms Nicholl said she was overwhelmed and grateful to everyone in South Belfast who voted Alliance.
She added: "We ran on an inclusive, progressive ticket. We want to work together with everyone and we're just so glad that's been rewarded.
"We recognise that there will be some voters who will be disappointed, particularly the Green voters, and we're going to work for them - we're not going to let them down.
"Our city is changing, we're a diverse city, our city is so diverse, and I really want to represent everyone."
Her colleague Ms Bradshaw achieved 6,503 first-preferences and was elected on the seventh count.
Mr Poots, who previously represented Lagan Valley, had attempted to switch constituencies to South Down before being co-opted to South Belfast following the death of Christopher Stalford.
The former DUP leader said his election was a "tribute to the work and life" of Mr Stalford and he wanted to ensure his colleague's legacy lives on.
In formal speeches other elected MLAs also paid tribute and expressed their sympathies over the death of Mr Stalford.
Ms Hargey thanked everyone who voted, supported and campaigned for her throughout the election race, and said she wanted to help build a "prosperous constituency".
She called for parties to re-enter Stormont's power-sharing Executive "to deliver in society on the issues we have been hearing on the doors".
Mr O'Toole wore a red rose on his lapel reminiscent of former SDLP leader John Hume as his election was announced.
He said it was a "reminder of the legacy he left us - a fusion of social democracy and constitutional aspiration that still inspires us".
"A profoundly difficult day for our party, but so grateful to my amazing team and to the people of South Belfast," he tweeted after the party suffered a number of seat losses.
Voting turnout for the South Belfast constituency was 64.36% - a slight increase on the 63.96% in the last Assembly election in March 2017.
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