| Electorate | Seats | Total Poll | Turnout | Valid Poll | Spoiled Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77,058 | 1 | 43,089 | 55.92% | 42,908 | 181 |
Vote Distribution
Left Right
| Candidate | 1 |
|---|---|
|
|
16311 |
|
|
8799 |
|
|
8034 |
|
|
4574 |
|
|
2693 |
|
|
1589 |
|
|
541 |
|
|
367 |
Alliance Party
John Blair has been an MLA since 2018 and is the current Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. He began political life on Newtownabbey Borough Council in 1997, but lost his seat in 2001 before being re-elected 10 years later. In 2018, the Alliance Party leader David Ford stepped down as an MLA for South Antrim and Mr Blair was co-opted into his seat, which he held in the 2022 election.
Democratic Unionist Party
Paul Girvan became MP for South Antrim in 2017 when the DUP man took the seat from then-UUP MP Danny Kinahan. He held the seat two years later. Mr Girvan was first elected at Stormont, representing South Antrim, in 2003 and later returned to the Assembly from 2010-2017 after he was co-opted to replace William McCrea, topping the poll in 2011 and 2016. He is a former Mayor of Newtownabbey.
Sinn Fein
Sinn Fein National Chairman Declan Kearney has been an MLA since 2016, successfully retaining his seat in 2017 and 2022 by topping the poll on both occasions. He has been a key member of the party's national leadership since 2003.
Traditional Unionist Voice
Mel Lucas served as a councillor in Antrim from 2005 to 2011, originally as a DUP representative, although he left the party in 2007 after he was suspended over comments attacking its decision to enter devolved government with republicans. He has a background in agriculture as a breeder of prize bulls, is a member of the Orange Order and is chairman of the Board of Governors of Loanends Primary School.
Social Democratic and Labour Party
Roisin Lynch has been a SDLP councillor serving on Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, representing Antrim DEA, since 2014. The mother of seven previously ran a technology business in the SME sector and has stood in three previous General Elections in South Antrim.
Aontú
Siobhan McErlean ran for a seat on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in last year's local election in the Dunsilly DEA, winning 243 first preference votes.
Ulster Unionist Party
Robin Swann is best known for serving as Health Minister during the Covid-19 pandemic, a role he held firstly between January 2020 and October 2022, and then briefly this year before resigning to campaign for the General Election. He has been an MLA for North Antrim since 2011, and was previously leader of the Ulster Unionists between 2017 and 2019. He stood for North Antrim in the 2019 General Election and was runner-up to the DUP's Ian Paisley Jr.
Green Party
Lesley Veronica is deputy leader of the Green Party (NI) and previously stood in the 2019 council election and 2022 Assembly election. She has been a teacher for 32 years and in 2017 published a book on Northern Ireland politics to support the A Level curriculum.
