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Parti Quebecois looking to maintain momentum with today's byelection

  • The Canadian Press

  • Canadian Press

  • February 23, 2026

A voter casts his ballot Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, in L'Assomption, Que., as Quebecers go to the polls in the provincial election. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

SAGUENAY -- The Parti Quebecois is looking for its fourth consecutive byelection win today in the riding of Chicoutimi, north of Quebec City.

The riding had been a PQ stronghold before Andree Laforest captured it twice for the Coalition Avenir Quebec, first in 2018 and again in 2022.

Chicoutimi has been vacant since Laforest, a former cabinet minister, left provincial politics in September.

The Parti Quebecois is high in the polls ahead of the provincial election in the fall, and leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon promises to hold a sovereignty referendum by 2030 if he's elected premier.

Francis Tremblay is attempting to the keep the riding for the CAQ, facing off against Marie-Karlynn Laflamme with the PQ.

Catherine Morissette is running with the Conservative party, Jeanne Palardy is with Quebec solidaire, and Tricia Murray is representing the Liberals.

The byelection takes place with a leadership race underway for the CAQ, as Premier Francois Legault has announced he's stepping down.

Meanwhile, the Quebec Liberals announced their new leader, Charles Milliard, on Feb. 13.

Polls will be open between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. and early data from the province's elections office indicated 11.67 per cent of electors had cast advanced ballots.

This report by was first published Feb. 23, 2026.