Municipal elections were held in Quebec City on November 7, 2021, the same day as elections in Montreal and other municipalities in the province.
The election took place as Quebec, Canada and the world continued to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec. Outgoing mayor Régis Labeaume, announced he was not running for another term, making it the first time since 2007 that a new mayor was to be elected in the city.
The primary candidates included Jackie Smith (leader of Transition Québec), Marie-Josée Savard (who had the support of Labeaume), Jean-François Gosselin former Action démocratique du Québec MNA and leader of Québec 21, Jean Rousseau, leader of Démocratie Québec and Bruno Marchand, former director of the United Way of Canada in the Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions.
A year before the election, on October 3, 2020, Jean Rousseau, the party's only member on the City Council, was named the party's leader by acclamation.
The party Option Capitale-Nationale appeared in previous municipal elections as the municipal wing of Option nationale, a progressive sovereigntist party. Following Option Nationale's merger with Québec Solidaire, Option Capitale-Nationale changed its name to "Transition Québec" in May 2020. Like its provincial counterparts, Transition Québec focuses on issues of environmental sustainability, Left-wing solidarity, and feminism. Since June 19, 2019, the party has been led by Jacquelyn Smith, who ran in the previous election in the Limoilou district as a member of Démocratie Québec.
On February 15, 2021, a new political party joined the election. Bruno Marchand, former director of the United Way of Canada in the Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions, was named as party leader. The party supported Quebec City Tramway project of Mayor Labeaume's administration, but withheld judgement on a possible third line between Québec City and Lévis until it was officially announced by the government. Portraying themselves as centrist, the party hopes to establish "positive and benevolent leadership".