SNP candidate Sonya Warren has been elected to represent the Buckie ward as part of Moray Council.
The local businesswoman took the vacant seat during a count at Buckie’s Fisherman’s Hall today, with 1,485 votes.
Her win means that the SNP is now the largest party in the council.
In total, 2,521 votes were polled on Thursday, representing a 32.3% turnout.
Indpendent candidate Norman Calder received 696 votes and the Conservative party’s Tim Eagle trailed with 315.
Ms Warren and husband Alan run electrical design firm Gateway Control Systems Ltd, which employs 17 people.
She has lived in the area for over 30 years and raised and schooled her three children in the town.
Ms Warren will join SNP councillor Gordon McDonald and independent Gordon Cowie as Buckie’s elected members.
Norman Calder, a contestant on the BBC’s Great British Bake Off show last year, was first to announce his intention to run for the vacant seat in February.
But he watched his hopes crumble as the votes were tallied.
Conservative candidate Tim Eagle, an agriculture worker from Drybridge, had hoped to bring his expertise on rural economy to the fore as a member of Moray Council.
The by-election was called after the death of veteran councillor Joe Mackay, who was killed when he was run over by his own mobility scooter.
Moray Council issued a statement, saying: “The 26-member Moray Council is led by an Independent/Conservative coalition.
“Today’s result means that the number of SNP councillors is now 11, equal to the number in the administration group which comprises 10 Independents and one non-aligned Conservative.
“There are two Labour councillors and two Conservative”