Kellie Armstrong fist pumped as her name was called out along with her total number of first preference votes yesterday.
The Alliance Party candidate topped the polls at her Strangford constituency on Friday, with 7,015 votes in the first count, making her the first MLA for Northern Ireland to be announced.
Michelle McIlveen of the DUP, secured the second highest number of first preference votes with 6,601 and was elected to the Assembly after the fifth stage count.