The Quebec Liberals took a blow yesterday in one of its most valuable ridings outside the Island of Montreal Friday.
MNA Sebastien Proulx, 44, announced he was quitting politics and will resign his seat in Quebec's National Assembly.
The member for the Jean Talon riding announced his decision at a press briefing citing family reasons. Proulx and wife Guylaine Roy have two children.
Liberal leader Pierre Arcand spoke at the same briefing and said the party is going through many changes including a new president and new general manager, and just concluded its Youth Convention where over 400 young people attended.
Keeping their only seat in the Quebec City region will be a high priority for the Liberals.
"Of course we will work very hard to maintain this seat in Jean Talon," said Arcand.
The Jean-Talon riding is something of a Liberal stronghold with the party winning the seat for the last 18 elections starting in 1966.
Proulx beat Parti Quebecois candidate Clement Laberge in a 2015 by-election by under 3,000 votes in the Jean Talon riding in the Quebec City borough. He was minister of education in Philippe Couillard's government.
He was the only Liberal MNA from the Quebec City area, and touted as a possible successor to leader Philippe Couillard, who resigned after the 2018 election. He held the post of Liberal house leader for the party's first year as official opposition to Francois Legault's CAQ government.
Proulx was an Action democratique du Quebec MNA from Trois Rivieres from 2007 to 2008 and served as leader of the official opposition. He returned to politics in 2015 to join the Liberals in Jean Talon.
Proulx did not close the door for good on a potential return to politics.
