CAQ wins Jean-Talon riding in Quebec City byelection

Jolle Boutinwalked away with a win inMonday'sbyelectionin the Quebec City riding Jean-Talon, giving the Coalition Avenir Qubec its76thseat in the National Assembly.

Boutinheld an early lead after polls closed, and her supporters, jam-packed into a Sainte-Foy pizza joint,cheered every time her name flashed on the screen her lead continuing to grow throughout the evening.

Radio-Canada projected her the winner about 45 minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m.

Boutinwon with about 43 per cent of the vote, beating her Liberal counterpart by more than 4,200 ballots. Voter turnout was 49 per cent.

"The citizens of Jean-Talon have chosen to give me their confidence, their trust.It's an incredible feeling," she said.

Boutin said it was a surreal experience that she will never forget. She called her win historic, as the Liberals have held the riding since it was created in 1966.

"The last Liberal bastion has fallen," said Premier Franois Legault, taking to the stage in front of an ecstatic crowd with Boutin at his side.

"Jolle has run a great campaign," he said, welcoming her to the team.

The riding was left empty after former Liberal MNA and former education minister,Sbastien Proulx, quit politics in August 2019.

His would-be successor, Liberal candidate Gertrude Bourdon, was unable to maintain the party's grip on the riding.

Boutinbecomes the CAQ's30th female MNA, out of a total of 76 seats.

She worked as chief of staff forric Caire, the minister responsible forgovernment digital transformation. Boutin also co-foundedFemmes Alpha, a leadership program forfemale business owners.

She came in second in 2018, tailing Proulx by 1,363 votes.

Voters had 10 names they could choose from on theirballot.

A former nurse, Bourdon was the executive director of Quebec City's hospital network, the CHU de Qubec, before running for the Liberals in 2018.

She came in third place in the Jean-Lesage riding, which ended up going to Qubec Solidaire's Sol Zanetti.

Qubec Solidaire and the Parti Qubcois were each hoping to add one seat to their caucus, with their respective candidates,Olivier Bolducand Sylvain Barrette.

Jean-Talon had a high turnout for the 2018 election, at75.16per cent. In advance voting for this byelection, 20.56per cent of voters turned up.

After the departure of former premier Philippe Couillard, who represented the riding of Roberval, Jean-Talon was the last riding the party heldeast of the Montreal region.