CAQ leadership: Two new endorsements for Simon Jolin-Barrette
Posted January 22, 2026 10:25 am.
The CAQ leadership campaign continues to gather support. Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette has secured the backing of two more of his colleagues.
These are former Minister of Agriculture André Lamontagne and Member of Parliament for Saint-Jean Louis Lemieux.
Simon Jolin-Barrette is not yet officially a candidate. On Wednesday, he said he was “seriously considering” making the leap.
“Simon is a leader, a team player and a tireless worker. Since 2018, he has proven himself to be a great reformer, fully committed to moving Quebec forward and progressing. I invite him to enter the race; I will be by his side,” wrote André Lamontagne on Facebook.
“For the past 7 years that I have seen him go to parliament… Simon has earned and retained my trust and respect… and I therefore wish him to embark on this race for the leadership of our party,” Louis Lemieux said on the same social network.
In total, Simon Jolin-Barrette therefore has the support of seven of his colleagues.
Officially, no one is on the starting line.
The other potential candidates in this race are Ministers Christine Fréchette (Economy) and Bernard Drainville (Environment). The Minister of Natural Resources, Jean-François Simard, has also not ruled out a run.
Drainville obtained his first two endorsements on Wednesday: the Minister Delegate for the Economy, Samuel Poulin, and the Member of Parliament, Kariane Bourassa.
For her part, Fréchette obtained the support of nine elected officials, including ministers Gilles Bélanger, Benoit Charette, Mathieu Lacombe, Kateri Champagne Jourdain and Ian Lafrenière.
The rules of the race will be revealed later on Thursday. It is already known that a minister will have to resign to run for the position.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
