The Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) has held onto its seat in Champlain after a judicial recount following the Oct. 5 election. The recount recorded 12,690 votes for candidate Adriana Szalontai versus the 12,504 votes for the runner-up, the Parti Québécois (PQ) candidate René Branchaud, Elections Quebec confirmed Thursday evening. The recount was held at the Court of Quebec at the Trois-Rivières courthouse. The difference in votes is 186 votes, rather than 191 votes in the Oct. 5 election. Meanwhile, the number of rejected ballots in Champlain rose to 675, up from 671. “This is a great way to wrap up our wonderful swearing-in ceremony,” PCQ leader Eric Duhaime said on X. The court agreed to a recount after the PQ candidate flagged alleged mathematical errors on the tally sheet in the riding near Trois-Rivières. The PCQ’s seat count remains at 19. On Wednesday, the riding of Vachon, on Montreal’s South Shore, flipped to the PQ after a judicial recount showed a difference of just three votes. The Quebec Liberals said all options are on the table as they decides their next steps.
