Labor's Anne Aly has used her strong lead over Liberal Luke Simpkins to claim victory in the battle for the WA seat of Cowan.
The Australian Electoral Commission has not yet formally declared the seat but Ms Aly says she's a winner with a lead of 787 votes.
"It's time that Cowan has an answer," she told reporters on Monday.
"We do have a very strong lead now and it would take a lot to change that lead."
Ms Aly said it would be significant she would be the nation's first female Muslim MP.
"Having a diverse parliament in these very trying times is an absolute positive and bodes well for the future of Australia," she said.
"I think it's going to make for some very robust discussion and I'm looking forward to that."
The counter-terrorism expert described comments against her during the campaign as personal attacks, and said although they probably didn't play a big part in the result they may have moved some votes her way.
In the lead-up to the election Justice Minister Michael Keenan said Ms Aly had shown bad judgment by penning a letter that helped reduce the sentence of self-styled preacher Junaid Thorne
Former prime minister John Howard supported the comments.
In her letter Ms Aly said Thorne, who was jailed for flying domestically under a false name, was a perfect candidate for a de-radicalisation.
"There were whispers that the Liberal Party were looking for something - some kind of dirt, I guess - against me. I thought that we held up very well," Ms Aly said.
"I do believe that it backfired. It certainly didn't lose me any votes."
An AEC vote counting error in the electorate initially gave Mr Simpkins 200 votes but 160 were restored to Ms Aly on Monday after preferences were distributed.
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