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Nancy Guillemette cruised to victory Monday in a byelection in Quebec’s Roberval riding, giving the Coalition Avenir Québec its 75th seat in the National Assembly.

Guillemette, general manager of Santé mentale Québec/Lac-Saint-Jean and former Roberval city councillor, led strongly from the start with more than half the vote and more than 20 points ahead of any other candidate.

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The byelection was to replace former premier Philippe Couillard, who resigned after winning his seat on Oct. 1 but losing a government. His replacement for the Liberals, Chambord municipal councillor William Laroche, lost a race for distant second behind Parti Québécois attaché Thomas Gaudreault.

Less than an hour after polls closed, accompanied by his winning candidate, Premier François Legault noted that the CAQ, which had no representation in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region before Oct. 1, now holds four of the five seats there. “The lake is blue,” he told supporters. “CAQ blue!”