Kenneth Gibson coasted to victory in Cunninghame North tonight to move the SNP to the brink of an Ayrshire clean sweep.
The incumbent MSP held the seat for the Nationalists by claiming almost half the vote albeit with a slightly smaller majority.
And after wins across the region for Ruth Maguire, Siobhian Brown and Willie Coffey, the SNP just need to hold Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley tomorrow to go nap.
Reflecting on his success at the St Matthew's Academy counting centre in Saltcoats, Mr Gibson said: "I’m just delighted to be re-elected. It’s been a long and arduous campaign for everyone involved from voters to the people who have had to work as counting agents and those who worked at polling places.
"I’m delighted the SNP has done so well across Scotland and of course here in Ayrshire and I think it’s consolidated the SNP support here and I’m delighted to have the confidence of the people I represent."
On the possibility the SNP won’t achieve a majority, he added: "I think it certainly matters [a majority] but I don’t know that it will necessarily be a deal breaker if there are a majority of independence-supporting MSPs.
"Obviously we have to get through the pandemic so I don’t think anything’s going to happen immediately. We’re still optimistic we can make gains tomorrow."
Conservative candidate Jamie Greene, himself a West Scotland MSP in the last Scottish Parliament, secured second place and a 3.5 per cent increase in his share of the vote while former Labour MP Katy Clark was third.
Mr Greene will hope to get back in on the list with results expected to be confirmed by tomorrow evening.
Turnout in the constituency was up almost seven per cent on the poll five years ago.
Cunninghame North Results...
Kenneth Gibson (SNP) 18,227 (49.0%)
Jamie Greene (Scottish Conservatives) 10,451 (28.1%)
Katy Clark (Scottish Labour) 7,536 (20.3%)
Ruby Kirkwood (Scottish Liberal Democrats) 967 (2.6%)
Majority: 7,776 Turnout: 64.7%
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