Quebec election: Quebec Solidaire’s Sol Zanetti wins in Jean-Lesage

Québec Solidaire’s Sol Zanetti has been elected in Jean-Lesage.

Geography

The riding of Jean-Lesage is located in Quebec City and includes the borough of Beauport and part of the La Cité-Limoilou borough located north of the Saint-Charles River.

Candidates running in 2018:

Coalition Avenir Québec: Christiane Gamache
Parti Québécois: Claire Vignola
Quebec Liberal Party: Gertrude Bourdon
Québec Solidaire:  Sol Zanetti

There was no incumbent heading into the 2018 election.

The riding has been Liberal since 2008 when André Drolet was elected.

Gertrude Bourdon, the former CEO of the Laval University hospital centre, was chosen as the Liberal candidate in the riding heading into the 2018 election.  She was tapped to be the province’s next health minister — if elected, replacing Gaétan Barrette.

Her candidacy was not without controversy.

The Coaliton Avenir Québec (CAQ) said Bourdon had agreed to run for them before changing her mind at the last minute to join the Liberals.

Critics called her an opportunist who was shopping around for a ministerial position.

Sol Zanetti was the leader of the Option nationale party until its merger with Québec Solidiare in December 2017.

History

The name Jean-Lesage was given to the electoral division in 2001 after the former divisions of Limoilou and Montmorency were reorganized.

Jean Lesage was Quebec premier from 1960 to 1966 and the architect of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution. His government ushered in numerous reforms in the areas of health care, education, labour and culture.