Sinn Féin has selected councillor Daniel Baker as a candidate for West Belfast in the forthcoming Stormont election.
It follows the party's West Belfast MLA and Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey announcing his intention to retire from elected politics next year.
Mr Baker, a former Belfast lord mayor, said it was an honour to have been selected to contest the seat in May.
He told Andersonstown News: "This is an exciting time for West Belfast with enormous opportunities on the horizon and I will do all that I can to maximise these opportunities to benefit families and workers."
Mr Baker was co-opted to Belfast City Council to represent the Collin area in 2017 and was subsequently elected in 2019.
He became lord mayor in December 2019 in place of John Finucane after the solicitor was elected MP for North Belfast.
Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill welcomed Mr Baker's selection as a West Belfast candidate.
She said: "Danny would be an amazing asset for the people of West Belfast in the Assembly as someone who fully understands the needs of the community and the opportunities to deliver for families and workers."
Last month former handball world champion Aisling Reilly replaced Fra McCann as a West Belfast MLA for the party.
