QS candidate in Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne concedes after revised vote count confirms Liberal pick up
Posted October 7, 2026 10:56 am.
Last Updated October 7, 2026 2:30 pm.
The former Québec solidaire MNA for Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, conceded defeat on Wednesday morning, ruling out the possibility of a recount in that Montreal riding. The Parti Québécois, however, has filed a request for a judicial recount in Vachon, in Montreal’s southern suburbs.
Following Monday night’s election, Cliche-Rivard had lost to Clermont by just 39 votes.
However, Cliche-Rivard wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday morning that the returning officer’s final tally had “revealed a significant error in the vote count,” which ultimately gave Clermont a 275-vote lead.
“In light of this new information, the result is clear and definitive; I accept it and would like to congratulate Benoit on his victory,” he wrote.
The former MNA also thanked his constituents who voted for him in 2023.
“Serving the Sud-Ouest has been the greatest privilege of my life. I gave it my all—truly everything I had in me—for our district, and I have wonderful memories of the past few years,” he said.
A lawyer by training, Cliche-Rivard was elected in a 2023 special election to replace former Liberal leader Dominique Anglade. It was QS’s first victory in this Liberal stronghold.
Over time, Cliche-Rivard took on a leading role in the party, eventually becoming interim male spokesperson last year.
The newly elected representative for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, Benoit Clermont, comes from the cultural sector. He is the founder of Productions Déferlantes, which he led from 2015 to 2026. He has also worked as a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and media law.
Another recount in Vachon
With this defeat confirmed, QS remains at nine seats and the Liberal Party at 40. However, the PQ has filed a request for a judicial recount regarding the election in Vachon, the party confirmed to The Canadian Press.
In this Longueuil riding, Liberal candidate Affine Lwalalika edged out PQ candidate Stephan Fogaing by just 10 votes, according to the latest figures from Élections Québec updated overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Vachon was previously represented by former CAQ deputy premier Ian Lafrenière, who finished in third place.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
