Bernard Drainville says he will run again for CAQ in Lévis

Bernard Drainville, a candidate for the CAQ leadership, arrives at a press conference in Montreal on Monday April 6, 2026. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi)

Despite his heartbreaking defeat to Christine Fréchette, Bernard Drainville says he will run again for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in Lévis in the next election in October.

“I’m going to fight. And I trust the people of Lévis. If they want an MNA who delivers results and fights for them, I think I’m the right person,” he said during a media scrum in his riding Wednesday. It was his first public appearance since Sunday’s defeat.

The disappointed candidate said Fréchette had already reached out to him. They met Monday.

“It was a very courteous, very respectful meeting. And there’s only one way to bounce back, and that’s to work together. There were two campaigns, now there’s only one team, one government,” he said.

The Parti Québécois (PQ) and the Parti conservateur du Québec (PCQ) are currently trying to win over CAQ supporters disappointed by Drainville’s loss. He downplayed the effort.

“It’s normal that, at the end of a race, there are disappointments. But what matters is that the nationalist party in Quebec — pragmatic, focused on the economy, that does not want to take us into a referendum and that will stand up for our values — is the CAQ. So now we have to come together and rally behind Christine,” he said.

The Lévis riding is far from a sure bet for Drainville. According to poll aggregator Qc125, the CAQ would win just 15 per cent of the vote there. The PQ leads with 30 per cent, followed closely by the PCQ at 28 per cent.

Fréchette will be sworn in as premier Wednesday at the end of the day. She is expected to unveil her cabinet in the coming days. Drainville said he is awaiting the next few days with “eagerness.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 15, 2026.