Quebec Liberals announce candidate for the Terrebonne byelection

Virginie Bouchard will be the Liberal candidate for the upcoming byelection in Terrebonne. (PLQ)

Although its chances of winning the byelection in Terrebonne are very slim, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) has already chosen its candidate. The candidate is Virginie Bouchard, president of the Lanaudière Regional Council for the party.

The 27-year-old has already made two unsuccessful attempts to be elected for the PLQ in the past.

In 2018, she ran against François Legault in L'Assomption and in 2022, she tried her luck in Repentigny.

The Terrebonne riding has been vacant since the departure of CAQ super-minister Pierre Fitzgibbon a fortnight ago.

Between 1976 and 2018, Terrebonne was always a PQ riding, except for a brief interlude from 2007 to 2008, when it was represented by Mario Dumont's Action démocratique du Québec.

In 2018, Fitzgibbon won the riding from incumbent PQ MNA Mathieu Traversy. He was re-elected in 2022. In the last election, the Liberal candidate in Terrebonne, Lindsay Jean, finished fourth with 10 per cent of the vote.

This is not fertile ground for the PLQ. Internally, they say they are realistic about the party's chances of winning this riding, but said they want to run a serious campaign.

The official announcement will be made on Sunday and will be followed by a party rally.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 20, 2024.