The party was leading in more than 60 ridings shortly after polls closed but it was unclear as of 9 p.m. whether the sovereigntist party would form a majority or a minority government.

The crowd exploded with cheers at a PQ watch party in Montreal as the party was declared elected, with supporters dressed in blue and white chanting "Quebec, a country," in French.

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has pledged to launch a referendum to separate Quebec from Canada if his party forms a government, but not before U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the White House in 2029.

The party has also promised to more than halve temporary immigration in Quebec as well as to table legislation to abolish the monarchy, and diverting funds used to pay the lieutenant-governor to tackling homelessness.

The Parti Quebecois won only three seats in 2022, the lowest total ever since the party was founded in 1968. That number increased to seven by the start of the campaign, after four straight byelection wins.

The sovereigntist party capitalized on Quebecers' desire for change after eight years of Coalition Avenir Quebec rule in the province.

The Quebec Liberals and their leader Charles Milliard were running a strong second with the lead in over 30 ridings about an hour after the polls closed. Milliard was declared elected in his riding of Orford shortly after 9 p.m.

There was also good news early in the evening for the Quebec Conservatives, as their leader, Eric Duhaime was declared elected in a riding south of Quebec City.

He is the first candidate to be elected under the Conservative banner in modern history, although the party has had a recent presence in the legislature in former CAQ member Maite Blanchette Vezina, who crossed the floor.

Conservatives were leading in 20 ridings in early returns and Duhaime has promised to use his leverage to act as a "guard dog" that will protect taxpayer interests and attempt to block a referendum vote.

CAQ Leader Christine Frechette's party was in danger of being wiped off the electoral map.

Frechette, took over as leader and premier in April, replacing former premier Francois Legault.

She spent much of her campaign warning of the dangers of a referendum at a time when the U.S. trade war is destabilizing the economy, and had argued that her party was best placed to guide the province through the storm.

Quebec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal was declared elected in her Montreal riding, as the left-wing sovereigntist party appeared poised to hold on to most of its seats.

When the election campaign began, the CAQ held 79 seats, the Liberals had 18, Quebec solidaire 11 and the PQ held seven seats. There were nine Independents and one Conservative.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2026.