Quebec Liberal leadership race: Mario Roy launches another campaign despite debt from previous one
Posted January 13, 2026 2:52 pm.
Following Charles Milliard, it’s Beauce farmer Mario Roy’s turn to launch another campaign for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ). He’s also asking for help to pay off his $18,000 debt from the last leadership race.
“I’m therefore making a strong appeal to the public to visit my website to sign my nomination papers and to go to the Elections Quebec website to contribute as quickly as possible to complete the repayment of my debt from the last leadership race and allow me to participate in the new race,” he stated during his announcement on Tuesday in his hometown of Saint-Jules.
In addition to this debt, Roy must raise $15,000 in donations and collect 750 signatures from Liberal members by Feb. 13 to be eligible to run in the new race. The task ahead is therefore daunting for the 32-year-old, who suffers from a lack of name recognition. In the previous leadership race, the Beauce farmer finished in fifth place with less than one per cent of the vote.
Meanwhile Milliard continues to garner support within the Liberal caucus. On Tuesday morning, the MNA for Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Frédéric Beauchemin, endorsed Milliard, bringing his total endorsements to 12.
