The Liberal onslaught that overran the Quebec political map Monday night made its mark on the Eastern Townships with the Liberals holding onto their seats in Richmond, Orford, and Brome-Missisquoi and, at press time, holding a commanding lead in Saint-Francois, and a narrower one in Sherbrooke. Pierre Paradis won his Brome-Missisquoi seat for the 11th time collecting approximately 45 per cent of the vote with 26 per cent going to the CAQ and the PQ coming in third with 21 per cent. Pierre Reid in Orford was also elected handily with over 45 per cent support compared to 27 per cent to Michel Breton of the PQ. In Richmond, Karine Vallières kept the family seat Liberal Red, gaining the support of 45 per cent and defeating a challenge from former PQ MNA Etienne-Alexis Boucher. PQ incumbents Serge Cardin in Sherbrooke and Réjean Hébert faced a tougher time, with Health Minister Hébert falling to Liberal challenger Guy Hardy in Saint-Francois and former Bloc Quebecois MP Cardin in a neck and neck race with Liberal Luc Fortin, in spite of having handily defeated former Premier Jean Charest in 2012.. Elsewhere in the region, the CAQ held on to Granby and seemed poised to hold on to Drummondville Bois-Francs, Nicolet-Becancour, Arthabaska, with Andrè Lamontagne taking Johnson from the PQ’s Yves-François Blanchet. Should the trend have been confirmed, the election would leave the Parti Quebecois virtually wiped off the Eastern Townships map with the Liberal party dominating the southern sectors of the region and the CAQ taking most of the north. Voter turnout was good in most ridings with a high of 73 per cent in Richmond, and a low of just under 50 per cent in Saint-François.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 02:01:39 +0000
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