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2020 Quebec Liberal Party leadership election

The 2020 Quebec Liberal Party leadership election was to have taken place from May 30–31, 2020 after outgoing leader Philippe Couillard resigned on October 4, 2018, and left politics after the party finished second in the 2018 Quebec general election. On March 20, 2020, the party suspended the election indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec. On May 11, 2020, candidate Alexandre Cusson withdrew from the race and after a meeting of the party's executive committee, the sole remaining candidate, Dominique Anglade, was selected as leader by acclamation.

This made her the first woman to lead the Quebec Liberal Party, and the first Black woman to lead a provincial party in Quebec.

Background

Philippe Couillard, who won the 2013 leadership election and led the party to victory in the 2014 Quebec election resigned on October 4, 2018, after the party's second-place finish in the 2018 Quebec general election. The Liberal Party fell from 68 seats to 32 seats and only captured 25% of the popular vote, the party's lowest since Confederation.

On October 5, Pierre Arcand was named interim leader.

Rules and procedures

On May 5, 2019, the party adopted the rules to govern the leadership election. For the first time in the party's history, the leadership would not be decided by a delegated convention but a vote of the party membership. The vote would be weighted to ensure equal regional representation by use of a points system: each of Quebec's 125 ridings would be worth 2,000 points, and the youth wing would be afforded 125,000, for a total of 375,000. A candidate would need a simple majority, or 187,501 points, to win. The entry fee was $60,000, with a maximum spending limit of $500,000.

However, on May 11, 2020, after Alexandre Cusson withdrew from the race and left Dominique Anglade as the sole candidate, the party's executive committee met and declared Anglade the leader by acclamation.

Declared candidates

Dominique Anglade

Background: MNA for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne (2015–), Deputy Premier and Minister of Economic Development under Couillard.
Date announced: June 27, 2019

Withdrawn candidates

Alexandre Cusson

Background: Mayor of Drummondville, former president of the l’Union des municipalités du Québec.
Date announced: November 23, 2019
Withdrew: May 11, 2020

Declined

Opinion polling

Liberal supporters

All Quebecers

Notes

References

See also