SIR Jeffrey Donaldson has said he will run in the next assembly election and hopes to become Stormont first minister if he wins the DUP's leadership contest.
The Lagan Valley MP and party's Westminster leader is vying with Stormont Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to succeed Arlene Foster as DUP leader.
In eve-of-poll correspondence to MLAs and MPs, Sir Jeffrey says that he believed the party could “bind together” and unite under his leadership.
It is not clear if he intends to run in Lagan Valley where Mr Poots and Paul Givan - who has been tipped to become first minister if Mr Poots wins - are both MLAs for the party.
His intention to run as first minister would also trigger a by-election in Lagan Valley.
In his message Mr Poots said leading the DUP would be his "greatest honour".
The Stormont minister also said he had been "tried and tested over many years in political office".
Mr Poots' campaign has said if he was successful he would not take up the role of first minister.
The result of the contest, the first in the party's 50-year history, is expected after 4pm.
Sir Jeffrey is the bookies' odds-on favourite to win today's leadership battle.
Despite making the early running, Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots' campaign began faltering within days of its launch.
Subsequent to an initial flurry of social media endorsements from Mr Poots' allies, only Ian Paisley backed the Lagan Valley MLA publicly.
Sir Jeffrey has fewer pledges of public support but his campaign team is confident he has broader support than his sole challenger.
Up to 20 MPs and MLAs out of the 36 who will cast their vote have yet to make their preferences public.
Bookmaker Paddy Power last night had Sir Jeffrey as the clear 4/9 favourite, with Mr Poots' odds a considerably longer 13/8.
The MLAs and MPs will also elect the party's new deputy leader, again for the first time in the DUP's 50-year history, with North Belfast MLA Paula Bradley, North Antrim MLA Paul Frew and East Derry MP Gregory Campbell competing for the role.
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