Quebec Liberals ‘at a crossroads’ as leadership race kicks off Monday [Video]

As the federal Liberals prepare to choose Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s successor, another Liberal leadership race is getting underway in Quebec this week.

The stakes are high for the Quebec Liberals, who have been in the political wilderness for years, with dismal polling among francophone voters. Candidates and observers say the party needs to broaden its appeal beyond Montreal if it’s to have any chance of forming government in the 2026 provincial election.

The campaign will unfold in the shadow of the race taking shape in Ottawa. And with Trudeau’s former Quebec lieutenant, Pablo Rodriguez, the likely front-runner, the Quebec Liberals will have to set themselves apart from a federal party in turmoil.

“Let’s face it,” said political analyst Karim Boulos. “It’s not a great time to be a Liberal.”

The Quebec Liberal Party is the province’s oldest political brand and the party that has spent the most time in …