VICTORIAVILLE — The Parti Québécois is projected to win a Quebec byelection in the Arthabaska riding.

Former journalist Alex Boissonneault holds a comfortable lead over Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime, who had been hoping to win a first legislature seat for his party.

With over 80 per cent of polls reporting, Boissonneault was leading with over 45 per cent of the vote, compared to about 36 per cent for Duhaime.

The byelection was triggered after Coalition Avenir Québec member Éric Lefebvre resigned to run successfully for the Conservative Party of Canada in the last federal election.

The governing Coalition Avenir Québec has held the riding since 2012 but was sitting in fourth place just before 10 p.m.

It’s a third-straight byelection victory for the Parti Québécois, which als

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