CAQ retains Levis riding near Quebec City in byelection

LEVIS, Que. -- Quebec's third-placed party retained a stronghold in a provincial byelection on Monday that was called after one of its most prominent members stepped down.

Francois Paradis captured about 45 per cent of the vote for the Coalition Avenir Quebec to outdistance Liberal candidate Janet Jones, who had just more than 30 per cent.

No other candidate was able to garner 10 per cent.

The result does little to change the standings in the legislature. The Liberals have 70 of the 125 seats, compared with 29 for the PQ, 22 for the CAQ and three for the leftist Quebec solidaire.

One riding is vacant.

Levis is located across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City, where Paradis has been a well-known TV personality for years.

Jones has been a municipal councillor in Levis since 2009.

The byelection was called after the CAQ's Christian Dube recently resigned to go work for the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec pension fund.

Dube won the riding in 2012 and last April with more than 40 per cent of the vote each time.