The only candidate from Gilles Lehouiller’s team, who was defeated in the last municipal elections in Lévis, is trying to return to politics. Mario Fortier will carry the banner of the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) in Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, where he will meet CAQ’s strong candidate, former journalist Martine Biron.
• Also read: Léger poll: Legault on course for victory, Duhaime no longer making progress
Party leader Éric Duhaime made the announcement during a partisan rally at a hotel on Quebec’s south coast on Monday.
Mario Fortier represented the Saint-Étienne district on the Lévis municipal council from 2009 to 2021. In addition to his duties as a municipal councillor, he was President of the Société de transport de Lévis during his last term in office.
Last fall, he lost his seat on Lévis City Hall to Serge Bonin, who thus stripped Mayor Lehouillier of an undisputed councillor.
To enter the National Assembly, Mario Fortier must defeat former Radio-Canada political scientist Martine Biron, who is running for the Avenir Québec coalition.
A similar fight will take place in the neighboring riding of Lévis, where a former councilor of the Lehouillier team, Karine Laflamme, will defend the colors of the PCQ against the former radio host and former deputy of Marie-Victorin, Bernard Drainville, celebrating with the party of François Legault made a comeback in politics.
- Listen to Alexandre Moranville-Ouellet’s summary on Alexandre Dubé’s mic on QUB radio:
bet
Éric Duhaime is betting that locally known candidates will allow him to race in the Chaudière-Appalaches region.
“I think it’s a good differentiation from our opponents […] : a rooted guy, a guy with experience, well-known in his community, unlike the CAQ, which sends us well-known figures from the outside,” explained Éric Duhaime.
“It’s the world here that will win and the people here that will vote,” he added, before earning a round of applause from his supporters.
Answering questions from journalists, Mario Fortier also said he was shocked by the candidatures of François Legault’s party in the region. He believes that the current Chutes-de-la-Chaudière MP, Marc Picard, has been “packaged” in favor of a “friend of power and the media”.
Recall that Mr. Picard announced last week that he was retiring from political life to take care of his seriously ill wife.
- Listen to the interview with Mario Fortier, Quebec Conservative Party candidate for riding Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, on QUB radio: