A key ally of Nicholas Sturgeon in Glasgow lost his seat on the local election council.
Mhairi Hunter, a senior nationalist in City Chambers, lost in the second round of the Southside Central census.
The SNP looks set to remain the largest party in Glasgow, but is under pressure from better-than-expected Labor and Green performances as results continue to be reported.
Hunter works in the Sturgeon constituency and is a well-known figure on the SNP on social media.
Reacting to her loss, she tweeted: “Well, I didn’t expect it to be like that today.
“A combination of votes for the Greens and Alba leaves me no longer an advisor. Really quite ironic.
“Still, there is more time for the independence campaign. Forward and upward.”
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Speaking to reporters after the countdown in Glasgow, Sturgeon paid tribute to Hunter’s record as an adviser.
“Mhairi is a personal friend of mine and has been a colleague in the election campaign for many years,” the prime minister said.
“I’m rooted for Mhairi. She was a brilliant adviser and a change was made in the ward.”
The SNP leader added: “Mhairi will return to campaign for the SNP before we know it.”
The South Side Central Office returned two Labor councilors – a profit from one – as well as one Green and one from the SNP.
Susan Aitken, the leader of the SNP in Glasgow, said earlier that her party had achieved “very mixed” results in the city.
But senior members of the Greens and Labor were delighted to be represented in Scotland’s largest local government.
Patrick Harvey welcomed his party’s “phenomenal” performance, while Malcolm Cunning said it was the best Labor result in Glasgow since the 2014 independence referendum.
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