The 2019 Bloc Québécois leadership election was initiated by the resignation of party leader Martine Ouellet in June 2018. While originally scheduled to be held on February 24, 2019 on a

one member, one vote In the parliamentary politics of the United Kingdom and Canada, one member, one vote (OMOV) is a method of selecting party leaders, and determining party policy, by a direct vote of the members of a political party. Traditionally, these objectives ...

basis,

Yves-François Blanchet Yves-François Blanchet (; born April 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) since 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since the 2019 election. Before federal ...

, as the only candidate in the race following the nomination deadline of January 15, 2019, was officially acclaimed Leader of the

Bloc Québécois The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , " Quebecer Bloc") is a federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was formed by Members of Parliament (MPs) who defected from the federal Progre ...

on January 17, 2019.

Background

Ouellet got 32% support from a confidence vote of party members. She resigned on June 11, 2018. Seven out of ten Bloc Québécois caucus members left on February 28, 2018 and formed Québec debout, which was announced on May 9, 2018. On September 17, 2018, the party's five MPs rejoined the Bloc Québécois caucus. On June 13, 2018, Mario Beaulieu, MP for

La Pointe-de-l'Île La Pointe-de-l'Île () is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. Its population in 2001 was 98,878. The riding was created in 2003 from parts of Anjou—Rivièr ...

and president of the BQ since 2014, was appointed interim leader of the Bloc Québécois.

Timeline

*June 4, 2018 - leader Martine Ouellet receives only 32% support in a party confidence vote. *June 11, 2018 - Ouellet resigns. *June 13, 2018 - Former leader Mario Beaulieu is chosen interim leader. *January 15, 2019 - deadline for leadership candidates to file their nominations. *January 17, 2019 -

acclaimed as leader.

Candidates

Declared

, former Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks (2012–2014) and MNA for

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

(2012–2014) and Drummond (2008–2012). Declared candidacy November 26, 2018. Endorsed by nine of the Bloc's ten MPs, all but

Terrebonne Terrebonne, meaning ''good earth'' in French, is a name of several places in North America: ;Canada *Terrebonne, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal **Terrebonne station, a commuter railway station in Terrebonne, Quebec ** Terrebonne City Council, the go ...

Michel Boudrias Michel Boudrias (born 1977) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Terrebonne in the House of Commons of Canada from 2015 to 2021. He was first elected in the 2015 election as a member of the B ...

, including former interim leader

Rhéal Fortin Rhéal Éloi Fortin () is a Canadian lawyer and politician, who is the member of the House of Commons for Rivière-du-Nord. A lawyer by profession, he is the president of Bissonnette Fortin Giroux, a law firm in Saint-Jérôme. He studied law ...

, former permanent/current interim leader Mario Beaulieu, and

Louis Plamondon Louis Plamondon (born July 31, 1943) is a Canadian politician who has represented Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel (formerly known as Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour and Richelieu) in the House of Commons since 1984, making him the Dean of ...

, the

Dean of the House The dean of the House is, in some legislatures, the member with the longest unbroken record of service. U.C. Mandal, ''Dictionary Of Public Administration'' (2007), p. 123. Specific examples include: * Dean of the United States House of Representat ...

Failed to qualify

*Christian Hébert, businessman, owner of the food company Domaine Hébert in Deschambault and

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

Parti Québécois The Parti Québécois (; ; PQ) is a Quebec sovereignty movement, sovereignist and social democracy, social democratic provincial list of political parties in Quebec, political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates Quebec sovereignty movement ...

candidate in Portneuf. Hébert had announced his candidacy, though was not in the race by the nomination deadline of January 15, 2019, and it's unclear whether he withdrew or failed to qualify. *Jean-Jacques Nantel, an engineer, attempted to join the race though did not meet the party's criteria.

Declined

Jean-Martin Aussant Jean-Martin Aussant () is a Canadian economist, musician, and politician, now serving as Executive director of the Chantier de l' économie sociale. He represented Nicolet-Yamaska in the National Assembly of Quebec from 2008 to 2012, first as ...

, former leader of

Option nationale Option nationale, registered as Option nationale – Pour l'indépendance du Québec (National Option – For the Independence of Quebec), was a centre-left and left-wing nationalist political party in Quebec, Canada. It advocated for the soverei ...

(2011–2013) and MNA for

Nicolet-Yamaska Nicolet-Yamaska is a former provincial electoral district in the Centre-du-Québec and Montérégie regions of Quebec, Canada that elected members to the National Assembly of Quebec. As of its final election, it included the cities or municipali ...

(2008–2012) *

Xavier Barsalou-Duval Xavier Barsalou-Duval (born November 10, 1988) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères in the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election. He was president of the For ...

, MP for

Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères is a federal electoral district in Quebec. It encompasses a portion of Quebec that had been included in the electoral districts of Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher and Verchères—Les Patriotes. Pierre- ...

(2015–present) *

, MP for

(2015–present) *

, MP for Rivière-du-Nord (2015–present), interim leader of the BQ (2015–2017), leader of Québec debout (2018) *

Marilène Gill Marilène Gill is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 election. She represents the electoral district of Manicouagan as a member of the Bloc Québécois. Gill was one of three Bloc MPs who sup ...

, MP for Manicouagan (2015–present) *

Jean-François Lisée Jean-François Lisée (born February 13, 1958) is a Quebec nationalist politician who served as the leader of the Parti Québécois from October 2016 until October 2018. He was first elected a member of the National Assembly of Quebec in the 20 ...

, former leader of the

(2016–2018), Quebec Minister of International Relations, the Francophonie, External Trade (2012–2014), and MNA for

Rosemont Rosemont may refer to: * Rosemont (horse), an American Thoroughbred racehorse * ''Rosemont'', a 2015 film Places In Australia * Rosemont (Woollahra), located in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra and listed on the NSW State Heritage Register In Canada ...

(2012–2018) *

Simon Marcil Simon Marcil is a former Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Mirabel from 2015 to 2021. Marcil was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 election as a member of the Bloc Qué ...

, MP for Mirabel (2015–present) *

Monique Pauzé Monique Pauzé is a Canadian politician who was elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 election from the electoral district of Repentigny. Initially elected as a member of the Bloc Québécois The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , " Quebecer Bl ...

, MP for Repentigny (2015–present) *

, MP for

Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel (formerly Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour and Richelieu) is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography The riding, along ...

(2015–present), Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour (2000-2015), Richelieu (1984-2000), BQ House Leader (1992-1993, 2011–2013, 2014–2015) *

Gabriel Ste-Marie Gabriel Ste-Marie is a Canadian politician and academic who was elected to represent the riding Joliette in the House of Commons in the 2015 election. He teaches economics at Cégep régional de Lanaudière. Ste-Marie served as the Bloc Qué ...

, MP for

Joliette Joliette is a city in southwest Quebec, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Montreal, on the L'Assomption River and is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of Joliette. It is considered to be a part of the North Shore of Greater ...

(2015–present) *

Luc Thériault Luc Thériault (born January 31, 1960) is a Canadian academic and politician.Adam, Melanie (March 26, 2007)Luc Thériault : une longue journée.'' Le Trait d'Union'' As a member of the Parti Québécois, he served as a Member of the National ...

, MP for Montcalm (2015–present)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2019 Bloc Quebecois leadership election Bloc Québécois leadership elections

Bloc Quebecois Bloc may refer to: Government and politics * Political bloc, a coalition of political parties * Trade bloc, a type of intergovernmental agreement * Voting bloc, a group of voters voting together Other uses * Bloc (code school), an educational we ...

January 2019 events in Canada Bloc Québécois leadership election