Quebec Liberals would jump in popularity if Denis Coderre becomes leader: poll

If former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre becomes leader of the Quebec Liberals, the party would see its popularity jump significantly, new polling suggests.

The Quebec Liberal Party’s popularity would surge from 15 per cent under current interim leader Marc Tanguay to 21 per cent under Coderre, according to a new Léger poll conducted for Québecor.

While Coderre has not announced his intention to move to provincial politics, the former Montreal mayor went on tour last month ahead of that potential run. He says many people want him to seek the Quebec Liberal nomination and he is seriously considering the idea.

“He is just bringing a debate, he is bringing the PLQ forward,” said Liberal MNA Virginie Dufour. “He is going into the regions, right now, that’s what he said he would be doing. And if he wants to talk about the PLQ everywhere in Quebec, so be it, and it’s good for us.

“I think he is just showing that there is real interest into the party.”

A vote to choose the next leader of the Opposition Liberals is expected in 2025, and so far Liberal MNA Frédéric Beauchemin is the only other person who has declared an interest in running.

“I think that this is the proof that there is an interest towards the Quebec Liberal Party, that we have interesting candidates,” said Liberal MNA Madwa-Nika Cadet. “And he (Coderre) is not going to be the only candidate in this race. I’ve always said that we need a leadership race.

“It will be up to voters ultimately, but before that, because there will be a race, the members of the party will vote on who they want as a leader to be against, well, François Legault or whoever will be there in 2026. And I will let them decide what is it that they want to see in any candidacy.”

A potential Coderre leadership would put the Liberals in third place in voter intention, the poll suggests, behind the Parti Québécois (31 per cent) and CAQ (23 per cent).

That same Québecor poll found Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s PQ has maintained its commanding lead in voter intention, while the CAQ’s loss in popularity stabilized over the last month.

It also suggests a large dissatisfaction towards François Legault and the CAQ, with 64 per cent of respondents saying they were not satisfied with the current government – a sharp increase from 44 per cent nine months ago.