The Huntingdon riding will be represented at the National Assembly by a member of the Parti Québécois (PQ) for the first time, following a historic and somewhat surprising win by Frédéric Laplante.
Polls had predicted a very close race in the Huntingdon riding between Laplante and the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) candidate, Connor Stacey, but in the end, the PQ took the riding with 10,137 votes or 30.51 per cent support.
Laplante ran a relatively quiet campaign, and posted a brief thank-you message following his election. The 30-year-old, who teaches French at a high-school in Saint-Constant, has spoken about his desire to be a voice for young people in Quebec. He identified academic success, food sovereignty, the promotion of the French language, and protecting the region’s small and medium-sized businesses as key issues that are close to his heart.
Stacey, who ran a very ambitious campaign, finished in second place with 8,491 votes or 25.56 per cent of the total ballots cast. Right behind him in third was Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) candidate Chantal Dauphinais, who received 8,490 votes following a hard-fought campaign that saw a significant jump in party support across the riding.
Stéphane Bisaillon, the candidate for the Coalition Avenir Québec, which held the riding for the last eight years, finished in a distant fourth with 4,033 votes or 12.14 per cent support, while Valérie Dubois of Québec Solidaire received 1,865 nods or 5.61 per cent of the total vote. Dale Langille, who represented the Canadian Party of Quebec, finished in last place, 204 votes or 0.61 per cent support.
Around 50 Liberal Party supporters gathered in Ormstown, where Stacey emerged shortly after the riding was called. He congratulated Laplante, as well as the other candidates, before thanking his family, his team, and all those who had voted for him. “Throughout this campaign, I’ve met with you. I’ve listened to you, and I’ve shared your concerns, your hopes, and your vision for our community,” he said, while acknowledging the evening did not go as planned.
“I am deeply proud of the campaign we ran together. Although it ended differently than we had hoped, this campaign has demonstrated the strength, generosity, and potential of our region,” he concluded.
Former Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette also congratulated the PQ candidate. In a message posted to social media, she promised to work with Laplante to ensure a smooth transition as he takes office in the coming weeks.
At the provincial level, the Parti Québécois won 59 seats or 28.02 per cent of the total vote, which was not enough to form a majority government. The Liberal Party will form the official opposition with 40 candidates elected to the National Assembly, including leader Charles Milliard. The PLQ received 24.22 per cent support across the province. The PCQ received 20.67 per cent of the vote, and saw 19 candidates elected, including party leader Éric Duhaime.
Québec Solidaire received 12.43 per cent of the vote and won nine seats, but lost party status in the National Assembly. The Coalition Avenir Québec was decimated, losing in every riding, including in Trois-Rivières, where premier Christine Fréchette failed to hold her seat.
Across Quebec, the voter turnout was 66.89 per cent, which was up just slightly over the 2022 general election. In the Huntingdon riding, a total of 33,822 votes were cast, for a voter turnout of 67.14 per cent.