Montreal West End Liberal Sweep Secures Seven Ridings in Monday Election
In Monday’s provincial election, the Quebec Liberals secured a decisive sweep across western Montreal, capturing all seven ridings with significant margins. montrealgazette.com reported that Michelle Setlakwe won Mont-Royal—Outremont with 15,615 votes, outpacing Québec solidaire candidate Marianne Locas-Ouimet by more than 9,000 ballots. The results reaffirm the party’s stronghold in the city’s west end, though newly elected officials acknowledge mounting pressure to expand their political appeal beyond these traditional boundaries.
Landslide Victories in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Westmount—Saint-Louis
Incumbent candidates and high-profile newcomers built commanding leads across central western districts. Désirée McGraw secured 16,355 votes in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, defeating Québec solidaire runner-up Élise Davignon, who finished with 4,761 votes. In Westmount—Saint-Louis, Jennifer Maccarone claimed victory with 14,532 votes, leaving Québec solidaire candidate Olivier Sylvestre a distant second with 3,729 votes, according to montrealgazette.com.
In Marguerite-Bourgeoys, former Chamber of Commerce of Greater Montreal president Michel Leblanc won with 14,605 votes. The closest challenger in that race was Luc Côté of the Parti Québécois, who gathered 4,233 votes.
Tight Contests in Verdun and Saint-Henri—Sainte-Anne
While most western ridings went comfortably to the Liberals, races in Verdun and Saint-Henri—Sainte-Anne narrowed significantly. Antoine Dionne-Charest, son of former Liberal premier Jean Charest, won Verdun by 710 votes, finishing with 12,373 ballots against 11,663 for Québec solidaire candidate Alejandra Zaga Mendez. In Saint-Henri—Sainte-Anne, Liberal candidate Benoit Clermont secured 13,340 votes, edging out Québec solidaire’s Guillaume Cliche-Rivard by a margin of just 39 votes.
Strong Conservative Challenges in D’Arcy-McGee and Saint-Laurent
thesuburban.com reported that the Quebec Liberals successfully defended their seats against strong challenges mounted by the Conservative Party of Quebec. In D’Arcy-McGee, incumbent Elisabeth Prass captured 60.76 percent of the vote, totaling 15,906 ballots. Adrien Pouliot of the Conservative Party finished second with 19.68 percent (5,188 votes), marking a notable performance compared to the previous election cycle. In Saint-Laurent, new Liberal candidate Valérie Assouline won with 54.45 percent of the vote, improving upon the 49.7 percent share recorded in 2022.
Expanding Beyond Traditional Montreal Strongholds
Following the vote, winning candidates emphasized the necessity of broadening the party’s voter base across the province. Prass noted that recent polling placed the party’s support among the francophone community at 17 percent, signaling an urgent need to engage voters outside anglophone constituencies. Setlakwe echoed this assessment, stating that the party must connect with residents across all regions by championing Canadian unity and economic stability.
Maccarone added that constituents expressed deep concern regarding the economic uncertainty that could precede another sovereignty referendum under a potential Parti Québécois government. Business leaders and residents worry that prolonged constitutional debates could disrupt foreign and domestic investment in Quebec’s commercial sector over the next few years.
Voter Demographics and Riding Statistics
- Mont-Royal—Outremont: Michelle Setlakwe won with 15,615 votes, defeating Marianne Locas-Ouimet.
- Notre-Dame-de-Grâce: Désirée McGraw secured 16,355 votes, ahead of Élise Davignon’s 4,761 votes.
- Westmount—Saint-Louis: Jennifer Maccarone took 14,532 votes, leading Olivier Sylvestre’s 3,729 votes.
- D’Arcy-McGee: Elisabeth Prass captured 15,906 votes (60.76%), with Adrien Pouliot taking second place for the Conservatives.
- Saint-Laurent: Valérie Assouline won with 54.45 percent of the vote, outperforming Étienne Loiselle-Schiettekatte of Québec solidaire.
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