Quebec general election, 1962

The Quebec general election of 1962 was held on November 14, 1962, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage, was re-elected, defeating the Union Nationale (UN) led by Daniel Johnson, Sr..

In an unusual move, the election was called just two years after the previous 1960 general election. Lesage sought a mandate for the nationalization of the electricity industry, declaring it a single issue important enough to stake his political career on it.

A few days before the election, the Union Nationale's chief organizer André Lagarde was arrested for fraud. The Liberals claimed this was proof of lingering corruption dating from the Maurice Duplessis era, but the UN cried foul and waz vindicated after the election. However, the incident may well have contributed to the UN's defeat.

The Liberal Party won an increased number of seats and a higher percentage of the popular vote, and the nationalization program was carried out. Future Parti Québécois founder René Lévesque served as a cabinet minister in the Lesage government and spearheaded the nationalization of power utilities for a great expansion of Hydro-Québec.

Results

Party Party leader # of
candidates		 Seats Popular vote
1960 Elected % Change # % % Change
Liberal Jean Lesage 97 51 63 +23.5% 1,205,253 56.40% +5.0%
Union Nationale Daniel Johnson, Sr. 95 43 31 -27.9% 900,817 42.15% -4.5%
     Other 32 1 1 - 30,897 1.45% -0.6%
Total 224 95 95 - 2,136,967 100%  
Vote share
PLQ
  
 56.40%
Union Nationale
  
 42.15%
Others
  
 1.45%

See also

External links

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