Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette announced Thursday that she will contest from the Trois-Rivières riding in the upcoming provincial elections in October.
“Running for office in Trois-Rivières is a return to my roots,” said Fréchette, a Trois-Rivières native, in a statement.
“This is where I grew up, where I learned to love Quebec, our identity, our language, and our culture. Today, I’m choosing to come home to put all my experience to work for the citizens of Trois-Rivières and the Mauricie region.”
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Fréchette currently represents Sanguinet, in the Montérégie region, where she was elected in 2022.
She held various ministries such as the economy, immigration and energy, in the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government under François Legault before being elected as the party leader becoming only second woman to hold the premiership in Quebec.
Since Fréchette took office, CAQ which had consistently seen a decline in public support in the last couple of years, has seen a boost in voting intention polls.
Trois-Rivières is sometimes considered a bellwether riding in Quebec elections. According to projections by the poll aggregator Qc125, the Parti Québécois is expected to put up a close fight against the CAQ.
Before the CAQ came to power in 2018, the riding had long been represented by the Quebec Liberal Party.
Quebecers head to the polls on Oct. 5.
— With files from La Presse Canadienne
