CBC News Projects Parti Québécois Victory in Quebec Election
CBC News projects the Parti Québécois will form Quebec's next provincial government under Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, marking the party's first election win since 2012. Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime is also projected to secure a historic seat.
CBC News projects that the Parti Québécois (PQ) will form the next provincial government in Quebec, with party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon set to become the province's next premier. The PQ took a clear lead after polls closed at 8 p.m. ET on October 6, capturing more than 30 per cent of the popular vote in early returns. 
This marks the first time the PQ has won an election since 2012, when it formed a government under Pauline Marois. In the 2022 general election, the party won only three seats. A central promise of the PQ's campaign was holding a third referendum on sovereignty after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office.
The National Assembly of Quebec consists of 127 seats, and a party needs at least 64 to form a majority government. It remains unclear whether the PQ will secure a majority or a minority mandate.
In individual riding results, PQ candidate Joël Arseneau is projected to win Îles-de-la-Madeleine. 
Meanwhile, Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime is projected to win his riding in Bellechasse, where the party earned 35 per cent of the vote share in 2022. If confirmed, this would give the Conservatives their first elected member in the National Assembly since Maurice Duplessis in 1935 — a gap of 91 years. The party had aimed for 12 seats to achieve official status in the legislature.