National Party Invercargill candidate Sarah Dowie has taken the electorate.
With all votes counted she was on 16,573 votes compared to 11,406 for Labour's Liz Craig.
National also took out the party vote in the electorate with 48.8% compared to Labour's 35.4%.
Speaking to the National Party members, she knew it was going to be a "really really tough election".
She thought the National Party had become complacent and used to seeing Labour do poorly in the polls leading up to "e-day".
She didn't think Bill English would be able to use normal political tactics to deal with Jacindamania and nor would he want to.
She thanked her campaign team for their "incredible" hard work painting the town blue.
"Nothing was left to chance"
They reached every demographic they could.
Her predicted win for Invercargill was not hers, but everyone else's. She was just the face, she said.
"You can't be an MP without family support. You can't be a female MP with children in a provincial area and not have support."
She joked her children "hissed" at the red team's signs when they drove past.
"They know all about the red and the blue team."
She said with the support that has united Invercargill, National can continue for another three years.
"I am thrilled to be your representative."
She said she will work just as hard if not harder for the next three years.
One man at the celebration said Sarah Dowie was safe but that didn't mean the rest of the country was yet in regards to National taking the majority.
Labour Party candidate Dr Liz Craig said it was great to have another representative for Southland as a List MP.
"It's a great result."
She was feeling really good.
From the campaign trail she was made aware of a lot of issues in Southland and Invercargill, such as health, mental health and unsatisfactory rental homes that were damp and mouldy.
"So, there's a lot of work that needed to be done."
She was totally committed to representing Southland as a List MP.
"There was a need for change, certainly, in Invercargill."
She was unsure about a possible coalition and it wouldn't be a few weeks before anything was known.
"It's early days. I don't think anyone has a sense of how it's going to play out."
