François Legault‘s Coalition Avenir Québec will form the next government in Quebec after cruising to a commanding majority for a second time.
Global News projected the victory Monday night after a five-week election campaign that saw party leaders crisscross the province in hopes of appealing to voters and their base of supporters.
His party jumped to an early lead shortly after polls closed and was leading or elected in some 40 ridings as of 8:15 p.m. In Quebec, a party needs 63 seats to form a majority.
Legault, the incumbent premier and leader of the CAQ, was seen celebrating with family shortly after the call was made. He was well ahead in the polls for most of the campaign — with other major parties at a distant second. Support for the party barely budged despite Legault having faced a tough sprint, including being roundly criticized for his comments on immigration.
Read more: Quebec election results: Live, real-time numbers from the 2022 vote
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“I think we can make some gains on the Island of Montreal,” a beaming incumbent Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault told Global News after the majority was declared and as votes continued to be counted.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante congratulated Legault and his team on social media.
“We look forward to continuing the work to meet the priorities of Montrealers and municipalities: ecological transition, housing, mobility and safety,” she said.
The CAQ first made history in 2018 after becoming the first new party to take power in the province since 1976, ousting the Liberals in a stunning defeat. At the time, Legault offered up an alternative to Quebec’s longstanding two-party rule, which pitted federalist against sovereigntist leanings for almost 50 years.
A businessman by trade and former Parti Québécois cabinet minister, Legault has drummed up support in his nationalist approach to leading the province, which includes contentious laws to bolster the French language and religious neutrality, while also closing out the possibility of a referendum on sovereignty.
In this campaign, Legault was seeking a second mandate as premier — and promised continuity rather than change in the province. In two party leader debates, his rivals challenged him on his government’s handling of climate change, the rising costs of living and the COVID-19 pandemic.
As leader, he pledged to cut income taxes as well as issue cheques to Quebecers to combat rising inflation, maintain immigration levels at 50,000 people per year and boost benefits for seniors.
When the provincial legislature broke for the summer, Legault’s party had 76 seats out of 125. The Quebec Liberals had 27, Québec solidaire had 10 and the Parti Québécois had seven. The Conservative Party of Quebec held one seat while Independents accounted for four.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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