The Mayor of Lachute has withdrawn as the Parti Libéral du Québec (PLQ) candidate in Argenteuil for this fall’s provincial election.

On June 22, Bernard Bigras-Denis, who also serves as the Prefect of the Municipalité régionale de comté (MRC) d’Argenteuil, was named as the PLQ candidate. Bigras-Denis had also been the Liberal candidate in 2018. He was elected Mayor of Lachute in 2021 and re-elected in 2025 when he also became chair of the regional government council.

However, public response to Bigras-Denis’ selection as the Liberal candidate led him to reconsider the role and on Tuesday, June 30, he decided to stand down as the candidate.

In a social media post announcing he was relinquishing the candidacy, Bigras-Denis said he had received many messages, calls, and expressions of encouragement, but not everyone wanted to see him move to provincial politics.

“Many told me they liked the idea of ​​seeing me defend our region in Québec City. But many also shared a fear: the fear of losing their mayor,” Bigras-Denis said.

He said he genuinely wanted to represent Argenteuil residents and their interests at the provincial level.

“I sincerely considered this candidacy because I firmly believe that Argenteuil deserves a strong voice in Québec City. However, after reflection, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to serve our region today is to honour the commitment I made to the citizens of Lachute and the MRC d’Argenteuil by continuing the work we began together,” Bigras-Denis wrote.

He said he is fully committed to serving his term as mayor and as Prefect until the next municipal election in 2029.

“Rest assured, however, that I will continue to strongly advocate for Argenteuil’s priorities with all candidates and with the person who is elected. With courage and leadership, our provincial issues can move forward. I will also continue my work to ensure that municipalities receive all the recognition, powers, and resources necessary to meet the challenges they face,” Bigras-Denis said in his statement.

The Argenteuil seat in the Québec legislature is completely open in the next provincial election. Incumbent representative Agnès Grondin has served two terms and has chosen to leave politics at the end of the term.