The Action démocratique du Québec leadership election, 2009 took place on October 18, 2009 electing Gilles Taillon

Gilles Taillon

Gilles Taillon is the former leader of the Action démocratique du Québec . A politician, teacher and businessman in Quebec, Canada; he was the ADQ Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the district of Chauveau in the Quebec City area from the 2007 to the 2008 elections.Though not...

 on the second ballot by a margin of two votes over Éric Caire

Éric Caire

Éric Caire is a politician from Quebec, Canada, and the independent Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of La Peltrie....

.

Background

After the results of the 2008 Quebec election, in which the ADQ went from being the official opposition, and 39 seats (41 MNA's had been elected in 2007, but two crossed the floor to the Liberals) to the traditional third-party role and seven seats, longtime leader Mario Dumont

Mario Dumont

Mario Dumont is a television personality and former politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec , from 1994 to 2009...

 stepped down from the leadership of the party.

Éric Caire

Éric Caire

Éric Caire

Éric Caire is a politician from Quebec, Canada, and the independent Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of La Peltrie....

, 43 the MNA for La Peltrie

La Peltrie

La Peltrie is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The riding was created in 1980 from a part of Chauveau...

. He was elected in 2007, and has served as the Official Opposition's Shadow Minister of Health.

• MNAs who are supporters: Marc Picard
  Marc Picard
  Marc Picard is a politician in the province of Quebec, Canada. He currently represents the Chutes-de-la-Chaudière district at the National Assembly of Quebec as an independent....
  
  , MNA for Chutes-de-la-Chaudière
• Federal MPs who are supporters:
• Senators who are supporters:
• Other high profile supporters: Film-maker Denis Julien and Joanne Marcotte, former MNA's Richard Merlini
  Richard Merlini
  Richard Merlini is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Chambly from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , François Benjamin
  François Benjamin
  François Benjamin is a politician in Quebec. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Berthier from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , François Desrochers
  François Desrochers
  François Desrochers is a politician and teacher from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Mirabel from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Pascal Beaupré
  Pascal Beaupré
  Pascal Beaupré is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Joliette from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Éric Laporte
  Éric Laporte
  Éric Laporte is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of L'Assomption from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Sylvain Légaré
  Sylvain Légaré
  Sylvain Légaré is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the Vanier riding from 2004 to 2008....
  
  , Jean-François Roux
  Jean-François Roux
  Jean-François Roux is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Arthabaska from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Martin Camirand
  Martin Camirand
  Martin Camirand is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Prévost from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Hubert Benoit
  Hubert Benoît
  Hubert Benoît is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Montmorency from 2007 to 2008....
  
   and Catherine Morisette, former ADQ candidates Ian Senechal, Luigi Verrelli, Guy Boutin, Serge Charette, Marc Jomphe, Martin Briand, Jean Nobert, Bruno Lemieux and Matthew Conway withdrawn leadership candidate, Myriam Taschereau
  Myriam Taschereau
  Myriam Taschereau is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She is related to former Quebec Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau. She has been active in both the Conservative Party of Canada and the Action démocratique du Québec. She ran for the Conservatives in the federal election of 2008 in the riding of...
  
  , President of the CDJ Martin-Karl Bourbonnais, President of Marquette Louis-Charles Fortier, founding member of the ADQ Patrick Robitaille,
• Website English: Eric Caire
• Website French: Eric Caire
• Official English MNA Site: Eric Caire

Christian Lévesque

Christian Lévesque

Christian Lévesque

Christian Lévesque is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Lévis from 2007 to 2008....

, 39, the former MNA for Lévis

Lévis (provincial electoral district)

Lévis is a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Situated in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the riding, which includes most of the city of Lévis was created in 1853.-Members of Legislative Assembly:...

. He was elected in 2007 and served as Official Opposition's Shadow Minister for the Treasury Board.

• MNAs who are supporters:
• Federal MPs who are supporters:
• Senators who are supporters:
• Other high profile supporters: Raymond Bréard, the former director-general of the Parti Québécois
  Parti Québécois
  The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
  
  , Raynald Bernier, former PQ advisor, former MNA's Albert De Martin
  Albert De Martin
  Albert De Martin is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Huntingdon from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Monique Roy Verville
  Monique Roy Verville
  Monique Roy Verville is a politician from Quebec, Canada. She was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of La Prairie from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Eric Charbonneau
  Éric Charbonneau
  Éric Charbonneau is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Johnson from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Jean Damphousse
  Jean Damphousse
  Jean Damphousse is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Maskinongé from 2007 to 2008....
  
  , Claude L'Écuyer

Gilles Taillon

Gilles Taillon

Gilles Taillon

Gilles Taillon is the former leader of the Action démocratique du Québec . A politician, teacher and businessman in Quebec, Canada; he was the ADQ Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the district of Chauveau in the Quebec City area from the 2007 to the 2008 elections.Though not...

, 63, former MNA for Chauveau, and former President of the ADQ and the Conseil du patronat du Québec

Conseil du patronat du Québec

The Conseil du patronat du Québec or CPQ is an institution that promotes business interests in Quebec, Canada.It was established on January 20, 1969 and plays a significant role in Quebec politics, issuing opinions on the impact of the governments’ decisions on the economy of Quebec...

. He served as Deputy Leader and the Official Opposition's Shadow Minister of Finance.

• MNAs who are supporters (1): François Bonnardel
  François Bonnardel
  François Bonnardel is the Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada, for the electoral district of Shefford....
  
  , MNA for Shefford
  Shefford (provincial electoral district)
  Shefford is a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Montérégie region, the riding was created in 1829. The riding includes the cities of Granby and Waterloo.-Members of Legislative Assembly:...
  
  
• Federal MPs who are supporters:
• Senators who are supporters:
• Other high profile supporters: Former MNA's Linda Lapointe
  Linda Lapointe
  Linda Lapointe is a politician from Quebec, Canada. She was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Groulx from 2007 to 2008.-Background:...
  
  , Pierre Gingras
  Pierre Gingras
  Pierre Gingras is a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Blainville from 2007 to 2008.-Background:...
  
  , Lucille Méthé
  Lucille Méthé
  Lucille Méthé was the Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada, for the electoral district of Saint-Jean.-Background:...
  
  , Lucie Leblanc
  Lucie Leblanc
  Lucie Leblanc is a politician from Quebec, Canada. She was an Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Deux-Montagnes from 2007 to 2008.-Background:...
  
  
• Website: Gilles Taillon

Potential candidates who did not enter

• Maxime Bernier
  Maxime Bernier
  Maxime Bernier, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
  
  , 46, Conservative MP for Beauce
  Beauce (electoral district)
  Beauce is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1867. In 2006, it had a population of 103,617 people, of whom 82,123 were eligible voters.-Geography:...
  
  , and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, said he would not run despite a "Draft Bernier" movement.

• François Bonnardel
  François Bonnardel
  François Bonnardel is the Action démocratique du Québec Member of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada, for the electoral district of Shefford....
  
  , MNA for Shefford
  Shefford (electoral district)
  Shefford is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1867. Its population in 2006 was 100,000.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 99.2% WhiteLanguages: 95.2% French, 3.2% English...
  
  , was considered a potential candidate, but instead endorsed and became a campaign chair for Gilles Taillon.

• Gérard Deltell
  Gérard Deltell
  Gérard Deltell is a politician in Quebec, Canada. Deltell is the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec and is the member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Chauveau.-Background:...
  
  , MNA for Chauveau. Many grassroots supporters had urged him to run, but he declined.

• Paul Daniel Muller, former President of the Montreal Economic Institute
  Montreal Economic Institute
  The Montreal Economic Institute is a non-profit research organization based in Montreal. It aims at promoting economic education of the general public and efficient public policies in Quebec and Canada through studies and conferences. Its research areas include different topics such as health...
  
  . Considered running but did not because he couldn't find a proper campaign organizer.

• Myriam Taschereau
  Myriam Taschereau
  Myriam Taschereau is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She is related to former Quebec Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau. She has been active in both the Conservative Party of Canada and the Action démocratique du Québec. She ran for the Conservatives in the federal election of 2008 in the riding of...
  
  , 38, former Conservative Party of Canada
  Conservative Party of Canada
  The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
  
   candidate for Québec and Director of Communications for Quebec in the Prime Minister's Office. Declared she would run but then withdrew due to lack of support. She now supports Eric Caire.

Jean-François Plante

Jean-François Plante

Jean-François Plante

Jean-François "Jeff" Plante is a Canadian conservative/self-described libertarian activist and supporter of men's rights. He has been an internet radio host, and was also running for leadership of the Action démocratique du Québec , following Mario Dumont's resignation after the 2008 Quebec...

, former Montreal City Councillor (1998-2005) for the Vision Montreal Party, ADQ candidate and owner and host of Radio XTRM, an internet radio show. His campaign was rejected on the grounds the 1,000 signatures he had collected were not valid.

Rules and deadlines

The new leader was elected by all party members through a preferential ballot cast electronically the new leader being announced in early October 2009. Interested parties must collect 1,000 signatures, including at least 60 in a dozen different regions of Quebec. They must also pay a deposit of $15,000.

Results

First Ballot

• Caire 41%
• Taillon 40%
• Lévesque 19%

(Lévesque eliminated)

Second Ballot

• Taillon 50.03% (1,957 votes)
• Caire 49.97% (1,955 votes)

Turnout: 29%

Reference: "Taillon wins by two votes: Edges Caire; Some say they'll leave party" By Kevin Doughety, The (Montreal) Gazette, October 18, 2009

Polls

CROP Poll, May 26.

• Gilles Taillon-21%
• Éric Caire-10%
• Myriam Taschereau-4%
• Christian Lévesque-3%

No favoured candidate-12%
No answer/Don't know-50%

Aftermath

Caire and Marc Picard quit the ADQ caucus shortly after Taillon's victory. Taillon himself resigned as leader less than a month after the leadership election, and was succeeded by Deltell.