The Parti Québécois secured its sixth seat in the National Assembly by winning the Centre-du-Québec riding of Arthabaska in a closely contested byelection held on Monday. Alex Boissonneault, the PQ candidate, claimed victory with 46% of the votes, surpassing Éric Duhaime, the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, who garnered around 35% of the votes.
Celebrating the win at Resto-pub de la Microbrasserie L’Hermite in Victoriaville, Que., Boissonneault described the campaign as exceptional and a message to Quebec and the government. In his victory speech, he expressed eagerness for the 2026 general election and portrayed the PQ as the genuine party of change, promising to bring his energy to serve and defend the residents of his constituency.
This victory further boosts the momentum of the PQ as they head into the final year of the Coalition Avenir Québec’s second mandate. It also marks the third consecutive time the sovereignist party has managed to claim a riding from the Coalition Avenir Québec in a byelection.
In the byelection, Chantale Marchand of the Liberals secured the third position with approximately 9% of the votes, while CAQ candidate Keven Brasseur finished fourth with about 7%, a significant drop from the 51% share the party received in 2022. Boissonneault maintained a lead over Duhaime throughout the evening, leading to an early concession from Brasseur.
PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon assured the audience that the party will continue its efforts to protect Quebec’s culture and language, emphasizing their commitment to defending all citizens across the province.
The Arthabaska byelection was triggered when CAQ MNA Eric Lefebvre left provincial politics in March. The next provincial election is scheduled for October 5, 2026.
Premier François Legault, alongside his candidate, acknowledged the disappointing results in the riding, attributing it to public dissatisfaction with the government’s performance on various issues. Despite this, Legault expressed determination to bring about change and improve the situation.
Éric Duhaime, the leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, reflected on his campaign, acknowledging the progress made and expressing gratitude to the voters of Arthabaska. While his party did not secure a seat in the National Assembly, Duhaime pledged to continue advocating for change leading up to the 2026 elections.
The voter turnout in Arthabaska has historically been higher than the provincial average, with the recent byelection reporting a turnout of 59.9%, slightly lower than the initially reported 61.7%.