Alison Redford celebrates her win.

Alison Redford is the new leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party and premier-designate of Alberta.

Redford won Saturday's election in a slim decision over Gary Mar

who had been seen as the front runner throughout the campaign. She garnered 51.11% of the vote, with Mar taking 48.89%. Doug Horner placed a distant third in the election, that didn't show final results until very early Sunday morning.

In her speech made to the more than 1000 people assembled at the Northlands Edmonton Expo Centre, Redford pledged to make good on promises including improving health care and education, and says the party will also take a disciplined approach to spending.

The Calgary Elbow MLA and former Alberta justice minister was a close second to rival Gary Mar throughout the evening as the second ballot votes rolled in from 85 polling stations across the province.

She consistently polled between 37 to 40 per cent to Mar's 43 to 40 per cent.

But votes from Doug Horner supporters who made Redford their second choice on the ballot put her over the top, beating Mar by just 1,613 votes.

Redford becomes the first female leader of the Alberta PC party and first female premier designate.