QS's Amir Khadir prevails over PQ in Montreal's Mercier riding

Québec Solidaire sees its first legislator elected

Last Updated: Monday, December 8, 2008 | 11:50 PM ET

CBC News

Québec Solidaire's Amir Khadir made history for the upstart political party. (CBC)Community activist and physician Amir Khadir has been elected in the Montreal riding of Mercier, beating Parti Québécois incumbent Daniel Turp.

Khadir, a Québec Solidaire candidate, was declared the winner in Mercier shortly after 10 p.m. after a tight race with Turp, a lawyer and experienced politician.

The physician's victory is the first for the upstart sovereigntist party.

"We have to say it – this victory wasn't given to us," Khadir told a crowd of supporters gathered at the Medley, a nightclub in Montreal's Latin Quarter. "It gives us hope that another Quebec is possible."

QS enjoyed several high-profile endorsements in this campaign, including from Montreal constitutional lawyer Julius Grey; Claude Béland, former president of financial group Mouvement Desjardins; and singer Dan Bigras.

Turp, a law professor, was elected to Quebec's provincial legislature in 2003 after sitting as a Bloc Québécois MP from 1996 to 2000.

In 2007 Turp beat Khadir by 1,123 votes.

Overall Results

Overall Election Results
Party	Elected	Leading	Total	Vote Share (%)
Updated: Dec. 9, 2008, 1:11 AM EST
LIB	66	0	66	42.06
PQ	51	0	51	35.15
ADQ	7	0	7	16.35
QS	1	0	1	3.80
GRN	0	0	0	2.19
OTH	0	0	0	0.45

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In depth: Quebec Votes 2008

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Quebec Votes Headlines

Separatist-bashing in Ottawa may have helped PQ: While Stephen Harper toasted a federalist victory in the Quebec election, some sovereigntists suggested Tuesday they might have him to thank for their higher-than-expected score.
Charest says he's here to stay after majority win: Quebec Premier Jean Charest had barely finished lunch the day after his third straight election win and he already found himself defending his appetite to see the term through.
Is Ottawa in the cards for Dumont?: Just one day after Mario Dumont announced his plan to quit Quebec politics, federal Conservatives were envisioning the prospect of luring the one-time right-wing wonderkid to Ottawa.
Charest wins 3rd mandate in Quebec: Jean Charest's political gamble has paid off: Quebecers handed his Liberal party a majority Monday night.
PQ gains help Marois rebuild party from disastrous 2007 election: Less than two years removed from being reduced to the province's third party, Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois guided her troops back to Official Opposition status Monday.

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