QUÉBEC — The Quebec Liberals have chosen longtime federal politician Pablo Rodriguez to lead the provincial party on Saturday and to carry it into the October 2026 provincial election.
The ex-federal Liberal cabinet minister won the party's leadership contest Saturday after two rounds of voting, beating out Charles Milliard, former head of the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce with just over 52 per cent of votes cast.
The three other candidates vying for the top job — Karl Blackburn, former president of a Quebec employers group; Marc Bélanger, an international trade lawyer; and Mario Roy, an economist and farmer — were eliminated after a first round after no one received 50 per cent.
Rodriguez, 57, told party faithful at a leadership convention in the provincial capital it was time to come together as Liberals and write a new chapter for the party. He preached unity, inviting all members of caucus on stage with him.
"No matter who you supported, we're all together today, united," he said.
He said those fellow leadership candidates would be key to the future and notably singled out Milliard, 46, who was among the favourites. Milliard and Blackburn have already committed to running in the next election, while Bélanger intends to run in western Quebec.
"Starting today, the work begins," he told reporters following his victory.
"I'm going to talk with the other candidates, it's extremely important to meet with the different teams because we're all part of the same party, the same team, with the same goal of forming a government in 2026."
Born in Argentina, Rodriguez arrived in Quebec at eight years old. He grew up in Sherbrooke and served as a federal Liberal MP for the Montreal riding of Honoré-Mercier.
He notably served as Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister of Transport under Justin Trudeau.
Rodriguez, held various federal cabinet posts in former prime minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, with notable stints as heritage and transport minister. He was also a key figure in the party's Quebec wing.
He brushed off the notion his opponents would try paint him as being an extension of the federal party.
"I'm my own man and I will be judged on my own decisions, my own team, my platform," Rodriguez said. "I don't control what they do, but what we're going to do is be ready."
Rodriguez, who does not have a seat in the national assembly, will have to rebuild the party in the next 16 months if it is to have a chance of forming government.
The Liberals have been polling badly among francophone voters outside Montreal for years.
Speaking to reporters after his victory, Rodriguez said he would be holding a caucus meeting in the coming days.
He also said he wasn't in a hurry to gain entry to the provincial legislature and would continue touring the province as he has in the past nine months.
"What's important is to have a party — a strong one in every riding, in every region, with the necessary resources to win the next election," Rodriguez said.
The leadership campaign had to compete for the public's attention with a federal election and a trade war with the United States. Still, party president Rafael Primeau-Ferraro said he was pleased with the level of interest the leadership race has generated.
"If we go back two years ago, the party wasn't in the same position that we are today," he said in an interview.
"We were able to attract quality candidates that are surrounded by very competent people in their teams. The membership of the party has doubled."
The Liberals lost more than half their seats when the right-leaning Coalition Avenir Québec, led by François Legault, swept to power in 2018.
In 2022, the party suffered its worst-ever defeat based on its share of the popular vote. It managed to hang onto Official Opposition status thanks to the concentration of Liberal voters in Montreal.
Rodriguez replaces Dominique Anglade, who stepped down in the aftermath of that historic loss.
But Legault's government has since declined in popularity, while the Parti Québécois has been leading in the polls for months. The Liberals are hoping to offer a credible alternative to the sovereigntist party, which has promised to hold a referendum on independence by 2030.
Rodriguez ensured those themes were present in his speech to party members, presenting himself as an experienced candidate capable of defeating Legault and PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in 2026.
"Quebec needs you because we must get rid of this bad government and because we must avoid the threat of another referendum," Rodriguez told members.
A recent Léger poll found that with Rodriguez as leader, the Liberals would win 31 per cent of the vote in a provincial election, one point ahead of the Parti Québécois.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
— By Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal with files from Maura Forrest in Montreal and Thomas Laberge in Quebec City.
The Canadian Press
