Buchanan triumphs over McCrea in DUP battle for last Mid Ulster seat

Despite trailing his party colleague through most of the count, the DUP’s fresh face took Ian McCrea’s seat from him in the tenth count with just 161 votes.

In his speech he told jubilant supporters: “They said it couldn’t be done, but we done it.”

McCrea left the count centre with his father, Rev McCrea before the Electoral Commission made the final announcement and Mid Ulster’s six new MLAs were invested.

Sinn Fein’s Ian Milne topped the poll with 7,035 first preference votes, followed by Patsy McGlone for the SDLP on 6,209.

Michelle O’Neill came in third with 6,147 and Linda Dillon was elected in fourth position with 5,833, leaving the eight remaining candidates to battle it out for the two remaining seats from the early afternoon.

All three Sinn Fein candidates put their quick success down to “good team work” and said they would use their mandate to work for the people of Mid Ulster.

Speaking after his first round selection, the SDLP’s Patsy McGlone said: “It’s a vote of confidence in my work from constituents and I would like to thank each and everyone of them.”

For much of the day it was a three horse race between the UUP’s Sandra Overend and the DUP’s two candidates, Ian MCrea and Keith Buchanan, but McCrea lost out after the TUV and UUP transfers were counted.

In the end the returning DUP candidate took 4406 votes to Buchanan’s 4567, despite being in front until near the bitter end.

Delighted to have been re-elected mum-of-three Sandra Overend thanked the electorate in Mid Ulster for helping her top the unionist vote.