Quebec Liberals Struggle for Support Even in Historically Liberal Eastern Townships

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
October 2, 2026

The Quebec Liberal Party is facing a difficult final stretch of the provincial election campaign, with the party struggling to gain enough momentum even in parts of the Eastern Townships that have historically provided strong support for Liberal candidates.

The situation is particularly evident in Brome–Missisquoi, a riding that includes communities such as Knowlton and has traditionally been associated with the Quebec Liberal Party.

The riding has become a closely watched contest as Quebecers prepare to vote on October 5, 2026, with Liberal candidate Frédéric Beauchemin attempting to hold off challenges from other major parties.

The Liberal campaign is taking place against a broader political backdrop in which the Parti Québécois (PQ) has been polling strongly and the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) has faced declining support.

For the Liberals, the challenge is not simply winning traditionally Liberal constituencies. The party is also attempting to rebuild a coalition of voters that includes francophones, anglophones, immigrants, business communities and voters who support Quebec remaining part of Canada.

A traditionally Liberal region faces a different political landscape

The Eastern Townships have historically been an important area for Quebec Liberals, particularly in communities with significant anglophone populations.

Brome–Missisquoi, however, is no longer an automatic Liberal victory.

According to recent reporting, Beauchemin has encountered voters who remain concerned about the possibility of another Quebec sovereignty referendum and who have traditionally supported the Liberal Party.

At the same time, the riding has developed into a competitive three-way race, meaning that traditional voting patterns alone may not be enough to determine the outcome.

The Liberal campaign has therefore concentrated on issues including federalism, minority rights, the economy and the relationship between Quebec and the rest of Canada.

Beauchemin has argued that government should create conditions that allow people and businesses to succeed rather than favouring particular groups.

His campaign has also highlighted concerns among some anglophone voters who believe their interests have received insufficient attention in Quebec politics.

Why the Liberals are struggling

The difficulties facing the Quebec Liberals extend beyond a single riding.

The party was once one of the province’s dominant political forces, but its electoral coalition has weakened significantly since the 2018 election.

The rise of François Legault’s CAQ changed the political landscape by combining Quebec nationalism with a more conservative approach on several issues.

During its years in government, the CAQ introduced measures concerning language and secularism that generated significant debate.

Among them were Bill 96, which strengthened the position of French in Quebec, and Bill 21, the province’s secularism law restricting the wearing of certain religious symbols by some public-sector employees.

The Quebec Liberals opposed those measures and have traditionally presented themselves as defenders of minority rights and Canadian federalism.

That positioning has helped the party maintain significant support among anglophone and immigrant communities, particularly in the Montreal region.

However, the same political identity has made it more difficult for the party to expand its support among some francophone voters who place greater emphasis on Quebec identity, language and autonomy.

Recent polling cited in the Globe and Mail report showed the Liberal Party receiving significantly less support among francophone voters than among anglophone voters.

Leadership changes have added to the challenge

The Liberals are also campaigning under a relatively new leader.

Charles Milliard became leader of the Quebec Liberal Party in February 2026 after a leadership process in which he was the only candidate.

He took over after a period of considerable instability for the party.

His predecessor, former federal cabinet minister Pablo Rodriguez, resigned as Liberal leader after becoming embroiled in questions surrounding the financing of his leadership campaign.

Rodriguez has maintained that he did nothing wrong, while investigations into the matter were still outstanding at the time of the current campaign reporting.

That leadership transition left Milliard with limited time to establish himself with Quebec voters before the provincial election campaign began.

The campaign itself has also attracted attention because of some early missteps, including controversy over the presentation of Milliard on the party’s campaign bus.

The Liberals subsequently sought to improve their campaign performance, and Milliard was reported to have performed better during the televised leaders’ debates.

The referendum question

One of the most important issues affecting the Liberal campaign is the possibility of another referendum on Quebec sovereignty.

The Parti Québécois remains the province’s principal sovereigntist political party, although its current leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has said that his government would not hold a referendum while U.S. President Donald Trump remains in office.

The PQ’s position has nevertheless kept Quebec’s constitutional future in the election debate.

For Liberal candidates such as Beauchemin, opposition to another referendum has become an important message.

In Brome–Missisquoi, some voters interviewed during the campaign have expressed concerns about the possibility of another sovereignty vote.

That issue gives the Liberals an opportunity to appeal to federalist voters who want Quebec to remain within Canada.

But the party faces competition for those voters from other parties that also oppose Quebec independence.

A changing political map

The Liberals’ traditional strength has increasingly become concentrated in Montreal and several surrounding areas.

That concentration creates an electoral challenge because strong support in a smaller number of ridings does not necessarily translate into the same number of seats across the province.

The party’s decision to have Beauchemin run in Brome–Missisquoi rather than continue in a Montreal-area constituency reflects an effort to expand its geographic reach.

The Eastern Townships therefore represent an important test for the Liberals’ ability to rebuild support outside their traditional urban base.

Election projections published ahead of voting have shown several Eastern Townships ridings as competitive, including Brome–Missisquoi, Richmond and Sherbrooke. Such projections are estimates rather than election results and can change as voters make their final decisions.

PQ support changes the dynamics

The strength of the Parti Québécois has added another dimension to the Liberal campaign.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s party has returned to the centre of Quebec’s political competition after years in which the party struggled to maintain its traditional position.

Current reporting ahead of the October 5 vote has described the PQ as leading in several polls, although polling measurements reflect voter intentions at a particular point in time and do not determine the final result.

St-Pierre Plamondon has been campaigning for a majority government and has argued that a strong mandate would be necessary to implement his party’s program.

The Liberal Party, meanwhile, is seeking to position itself as a federalist alternative.

That creates a complicated political environment because voters who oppose sovereignty do not necessarily all support the Liberals. Some may support the CAQ, while others may consider Québec solidaire or other parties depending on the issues that matter most to them.

The CAQ’s decline has opened additional uncertainty

The election is also taking place after eight years of CAQ government.

Christine Fréchette became premier in April 2026 after succeeding François Legault and is leading the CAQ into the election.

The party entered the campaign attempting to defend its record while presenting Fréchette as a new leader.

However, the CAQ has faced declining support during the campaign, creating opportunities for both the PQ and other opposition parties.

The resulting political competition has made traditionally safe or predictable constituencies more difficult to categorize.

That uncertainty is particularly important for the Liberals, who are trying to determine whether their support can expand beyond Montreal and into regions where the party has historically competed successfully.

Election day approaches

Quebec’s provincial election is scheduled for Monday, October 5, 2026.

Élections Québec says approximately 6.4 million electors are registered for the election, which is being conducted across 127 electoral divisions under a new electoral map.

For the Quebec Liberal Party, the final days of the campaign represent an opportunity to consolidate federalist voters and defend constituencies where the party has traditionally been competitive.

For candidates such as Beauchemin, that effort is particularly important in the Eastern Townships, where the Liberal brand still has historical roots but where voters are now being contested by multiple political parties.

The outcome in Brome–Missisquoi and other competitive ridings will ultimately be determined at the ballot box.

Until then, the Liberal Party’s struggle in areas once considered part of its traditional base illustrates how significantly Quebec’s political landscape has changed in recent years.

The party is attempting to rebuild its appeal at a time when questions about Quebec identity, language, nationalism, federalism, the economy and the province’s relationship with Canada are once again shaping the election campaign.