Pallas Data: Liberals Take the Lead in Quebec

The Parti Québécois still leads among francophones, but the gap is narrowing.

After a turbulent winter and early spring in Quebec politics — a period during which two parties in the National Assembly chose new leaders — we now know the main figures who will face off in the next Quebec election, scheduled for this fall.

On Sunday, members of the Coalition Avenir Québec chose Christine Fréchette to replace François Legault. Will the new premier be able to revive a party that has been struggling in the polls for nearly three years? At the very least, the hole the CAQ finds itself in is deep — and the climb out will be steep.

A new poll from Pallas Data, conducted following Ms. Fréchette’s leadership victory, gives us a sense of the scale of the challenge ahead.

At the province-wide level, Pallas now places Charles Milliard’s Quebec Liberal Party in first place with 32% support among decided and leaning voters. That represents a five-point gain since Pallas’s previous Quebec poll in February.