A 41 year-old mother of four and small business owner from Dorchester will join the Boston City Council next year. Annissa Essaibi-George broke into the top tier of finishers in Tuesday's balloting for at-large city council, earning her one of the four citywide seats. Her victory came at the expense of incumbent Steve Murphy, who finished fifth with roughly 14 percent of the vote— three points out of the winners' circle.

The final results are not yet official, but the order of finish is not in question: Ayanna Pressley once again topped the ticket with about 24 percent, trailed by Michelle Wu at 22 percent, Michael Flaherty in third with 20 percent and Essaibi-George in fourth— but in the money—with 17 percent.

"I'm incredibly excited and so humbled and honored," Essaibi-George told the Reporter at her Mayhew Street home, where about 50 supporters gathered on Tuesday night to celebrate. "I can't wait to get to work. It has been an incredible day."

Earlier in the day, as she campaigned outside her polling station at the Bellflower Street Apartments in the Polish Triangle, Essaibi-George was upbeat.

"There's an appetite to increase the number of women on the ballot," she noted.

Pat Ryan, who introduced Essaibi-George at her victory party, told the crowd that the Dorchester Avenue native has "a unique voice" and is "a person who can represent so many people who right now do not have representation."

Renee Lyter, a 43 year-old supporter from Jones Hill, was among those cheering the win.

"I've known Annissa for years through the Stitch House. We've come so far since 2013. She will make a fantastic city councillor. She has so much energy!"

As she greeted each supporter one-by-one, Essaibi-George was looking forward to a brief respite with her young family. She and her husband Doug George have four sons, including triplets.

"Enjoying time with my family and friends tonight. Sleep in tomorrow and then family time. After that, figure out how to be an at-large city councilor."

She'll start that process, she said, by "making priority lists in what we want to do first."

As she tells her students, " You work hard towards something, you meet that goal."

When her son asked the newly minted councillor-elect how she learned about her win, she told him:

"The mayor called and told me."

"How did he know?" he asked.

"Because he knows everything about Boston," she answered.