When voters in the Gouin riding select their new representative in the National Assembly, they’ll have plenty to choose from, with 13 candidates vying for their vote.
On Saturday, Quebec’s chief electoral officer announced the names that will officially appear on the ballot on May 29. Roughly 44,000 people will be eligible to vote in the by-election, in which a replacement for Quebec Solidaire’s Francoise David will be chosen.
David announced her retirement from politics in January, citing health concerns.
QS’ candidate, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, is considered the favourite. His main opponents are Liberal Jonathan Marleau and Benjamin Belair of the Coalition Avenir Quebec. Green Party leader Alex Tyrrell will also be on the ballot.
The Parti Quebecois elected not to run a candidate in the by-election.
Other candidates will represent parties such as the Bloc Pot, the Autonomist Party, the Independence Party, Option Nationale, the Conservative Party of Quebec and the Free Party. There are also two independent candidates running.
Prospective voters have until May 15 to register. Advance polling will take place on May 21 and 22.
In 2014, David won the riding with almost 51 per cent of the vote, beating the PQ’s Louise Mailloux by more than 9,700 votes. David first won the riding in 2012.
Prior to David, Gouin had been a Parti Quebecois stronghold, with the last Liberal to win Jean-Marie Beauregard in 1973.
