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QUEBEC – The Mayor of Victoriaville, Antoine Tardif, has announced he will not seek the leadership of the Quebec Liberals.
In a statement posted to social media Friday, Tardi said he does not feel the time is right for him to dive into the race to replace Dominique Anglade, who stepped down in 2022.
“I admit i thought it over because I love my Quebec,” Tardif writes. “I am convinced we can do better. I also believe the Quebec Liberal Party has the capacity to rally the regions, our national capital and the metropolis to find its relevance on the political map.
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“But I have to conclude that the moment is not opportune for me.”
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Tardif, who was also a former aide to federal Conservative Alain Rayes, was seen as a potential candidate who could rally francophones in the regions to the moribund Liberals.
At 35, he was also the youngest in the field of potential candidates.
But Tardif says he will remain mayor.
“I am the mayor of Victoriaville and proud of it,” Tardif said. “I am motivated by all the innovative projects in the municipal world that I am working on with my team at city hall and in the Fédération Québécoise des municipalités.”
His decision narrows the field. So far, two candidates have said they are running: former federal MP and mayor of Montreal Denis Coderre and the former president of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, Charles Milliard.
There is intense speculation that federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez will enter the race, possibly after the federal byelection in the riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun Sept. 16.
Federal Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, also touted as potential candidate, last week slammed the door shut on that idea.
Marguerite-Bourgeoys Liberal MNA Frédéric Beauchemin is interested but has not made it official.
On Thursday, a Matane lawyer and accountant, Marc Bélanger, told the local media he wanted to run.
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