Québec Solidaire's Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois steps down as co-spokesperson, won't run again

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, the co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire, will not run in the next provincial election scheduled for the fall of 2026.

Nadeau-Dubois made the announcement Thursday afternoon in Montreal, saying the internal party strife in recent years played into his decision.

"The momentum that has carried me for 15 years has stopped," he said, speaking not only of his time in politics but as leader in the 2012 Quebec student protests.

"I am exhausted. I can no longer continue in these circumstances now that I am the father of two children."

Nadeau-Dubois said he will finish his mandate as the Québec Solidaire (QS) MNA for Gouin but will resign as party co-spokesperson and parliamentary leader immediately.

QS had a disappointing showing in the recent Terrebonne byelection, where it received less than five per cent of the vote — down from around 13 per cent in the 2022 general election. Candidate Nadia Poirier complained afterward that she had received "very little support" from the party.

The byelection was won by Catherine Gentilcore of the Parti Québécois.

QS currently has 12 seats in the National Assembly.

An emotional Nadeau-Dubois, paused and held back tears when asked by reporters how he felt leaving without necessarily having accomplishing everything he'd set out to do. 

"Of course, it's not the ending that I expected," he said, but added it was the right thing to do. 

Nadeau-Dubois said that like many Quebecers, he doesn't like politicians who hang on when it becomes obvious that things are no longer working. 

"The Québécois deserve a united left-wing party with a new lease on life ... things have to move and I am leaving my place to allow new figures to emerge."

It will now be up to the party and its members to decide how to move forward.

Québec Solidaire doesn't have a traditional leadership structure, with two spokespersons instead of a party leader. Ruba Ghazal, the MNA for Mercier, also in Montreal, is the other co-spokesperson.

In a written statement, Ghazal said she was saddened by the news but praised Nadeau-Dubois for his decision.

"In a world where political leaders cling to power at all costs, Gabriel is one of the few who always puts the collective interest first," she said. 

Nadeau-Dubois, 34, rose to prominence in Quebec during the student protests of 2012 and was elected to the National Assembly in 2017.

'He's a very good guy'

Politicians off all stripes spoke highly of Nadeau-Dubois on Thursday.

"Great colleague, he's a great debater," said Parti Québéois MNA Pascal Bérubé. 

"I have to salute, with all my colleagues, his involvement in politics. It's tough, but it's necessary in our society."

Marc Tanguay, the interim leader for the Quebec Liberal Party, referred to his overall qualities as a human being.

"Setting aside any partisanship, setting aside any political program or platform, he's a very good guy," he said. 

International Relations and La Francophonie Minister Martine Biron agreed. Biron also indicated she wasn't worried about what might come next for Nadeau-Dubois.

"I don't know what he's going to do, but he's very talented," she said, noting his role as a leader in the 2012 student protests.

"I'm almost sure that it's just an au revoir and we will see him again," she said. 

While Nadeau-Dubois himself was unsure of what he'll be doing when his mandate ends, he confirmed he would not be running in any upcoming municipal or federal elections.