The party lost 9 seats in the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election, retaining 18 MLAs.DUP top in NI assembly election , BBC News Online, 12 March 2007. Empey was the only leader of one of the four main parties not to be re-elected on first preference votes alone in the Assembly elections of March 2007.
the party lost 9 seats in the 2007 northern ireland assembly election retaining 18 mlasdup top in ni assembly election  bbc news online 12 march 2007 empey was the only leader of one of the four main parties not to be re-elected on first preference votes alone in the assembly elections of march 2007