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1939 Quebec general election
← 1936 October 25, 1939 1944 →
86 seats in the 21st Legislative Assembly of Quebec
44 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Adélard Godbout Maurice Duplessis
Party Liberal Union Nationale
Leader since June 11, 1936 June 20, 1936
Leader's seat L'Islet Trois-Rivières
Last election 14 seats, 39.41% 76 seats, 56.88%
Seats won 70 15
Seat change Increase56 Decrease61
Percentage 54.05% 39.13%
Swing Increase14.64pp Decrease17.75pp
Premier before election

Maurice Duplessis
Union Nationale

Premier after election

Adélard Godbout
Liberal

This article is part of
a series about
Maurice Duplessis
Pre-premiership politics (1923-1935)

Politics

Economy

Legacy and cultural references

The 1939 Quebec general election was held on October 25, 1939, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Adélard Godbout, defeated the incumbent Union Nationale, led by Maurice Duplessis.

This was Godbout's second non-consecutive term of office and his only victory out of four consecutive general elections opposing Duplessis.

The Action libérale nationale, which had won 25 seats in the 1935 election and then merged with the Quebec Conservative Party, was re-formed by Paul Gouin, who had split with Duplessis soon after the formation of the Union Nationale. However the ALN obtained only 4.5% of the vote and no seats. It soon disbanded. Also, a rump Conservative Party ran three candidates who won 0.2% of the vote and no seats. This party also disbanded.

Redistribution of ridings

An Act passed before the election[1] reduced the number of MLAs from 90 to 86 through the following changes:

Abolished ridings New ridings
Reorganization of ridings
Mergers of ridings
  1. ^ also absorbed part of Maisonneuve

Campaign

Riding contests, by number of candidates (1939)[2]
Candidates Lib UN Con ALN Nat Ind CCF I-Con I-Lib I-ALN I-UN Lab ALN-Lab Comm Total
Acclaimed 1 1
2 24 24 1 1 50
3 48 48 44 2 1 1 144
4 7 7 7 1 1 1 1 2 1 28
5 5 5 5 2 2 2 1 2 1 25
Total 85 84 1 56 1 5 1 3 3 1 3 3 1 1 248

Results

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (1939)[2]
Political party Party leader MPPs Votes
Candidates 1936 1939 ± # ± % ± (pp)
Liberal Adélard Godbout 85 14 69 55Increase 301,382 77,008Increase 53.50 14.09Increase
  Union Nationale and allies
█ Union Nationale Maurice Duplessis 84 76 14 62Decrease 217,413 106,399Decrease 38.60 18.28Decrease
█ Conservative[a 1] – 1 – 1 1Increase 2,989 New 0.53 New
  Action libérale nationale Paul Gouin 56 – – – 25,295 New 4.49 New
  Parti national[a 2] – 1 – 1 1Increase 3,074 New 0.55 New
  Other candidates
█ Independent[a 3] – 5 – 1 1Increase 6,281 5,514Increase 1.12 0.99Increase
█ Co-operative Commonwealth – 1 – – – 2,513 1,044Increase 0.45 0.19Increase
█ Independent-Conservative – 3 – – – 1,679 191Decrease 0.30 0.03Decrease
█ Independent-Liberal – 3 – – – 788 8,958Decrease 0.14 1.57Decrease
█ Independent-ALN – 1 – – – 617 New 0.11 New
█ Independent-Unionist – 3 – – – 469 1,459Decrease 0.08 0.26Decrease
█ Labour – 3 – – – 410 331Increase 0.07 0.06Increase
█ ALN-Labour – 1 – – – 228 New 0.04 New
█ Communist – 1 – – – 159 886Decrease 0.03 0.15Decrease
█ Candidat du peuple – did not campaign
Total 248 90 86 563,297 100%
Rejected ballots 7,334 2,404Decrease
Voter turnout 570,631 3,624Decrease 77.00 0.06Increase
Registered electors (contested ridings only) 741,131 5,283Decrease
Candidates returned by acclamation[a 4] 1 1Increase
  1. ^ Joseph-Philias Morin (Champlain) elected under Conservative banner; joined UN caucus after election.
  2. ^ Formed during the 20th Legislature, when five MLAs broke from the UN. Only René Chaloult (Lotbinière) ran for re-election under the Nationalist ticket, and he declared himself as an Independent-Liberal after the election
  3. ^ Camillien Houde was elected in Montréal–Sainte-Marie
  4. ^ Edgar Rochette (Charlevoix—Saguenay), for the Liberals
Popular vote
PLQ
 
 54.05%
UN
 
 39.13%
Others
 
 6.82%
Seats summary
PLQ
 
 81.40%
UN
 
 17.44%
Others
 
 1.16%

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1939 Quebec general election[2][3][4]
Riding Winning party Turnout
[a 1] 		Votes[a 2]
Name 1936 Party Votes Share Margin
# 		Margin
% 		Lib UN Con ALN Nat Ind CCF I-Con I-Oth Other Total
 
Abitibi UN Lib 7,488 56.39% 3,020 22.74% 69.71% 7,488 4,468 – 396 – – – – 927 – 13,279
Argenteuil Lib Lib 2,670 58.89% 954 21.04% 78.26% 2,670 1,716 – 148 – – – – – – 4,534
Arthabaska UN Lib 3,448 56.53% 797 13.07% 86.40% 3,448 2,651 – – – – – – – – 6,099
Bagot Lib Lib 2,183 52.14% 179 4.28% 89.51% 2,183 2,004 – – – – – – – – 4,187
Beauce UN Lib 3,395 42.83% 135 1.70% 76.38% 3,395 3,260 – 1,272 – – – – – – 7,927
Beauharnois UN UN 2,614 46.88% 102 1.83% 82.47% 2,512 2,614 – 450 – – – – – – 5,576
Bellechasse UN Lib 2,515 53.25% 384 8.13% 83.88% 2,515 2,131 – 77 – – – – – – 4,723
Berthier Lib Lib 2,664 54.01% 396 8.03% 88.65% 2,664 2,268 – – – – – – – – 4,932
Bonaventure UN Lib 4,265 55.62% 862 11.24% 81.69% 4,265 3,403 – – – – – – – – 7,668
Brome UN UN 1,795 53.52% 236 7.04% 82.33% 1,559 1,795 – – – – – – – – 3,354
Chambly UN Lib 3,598 59.93% 1,603 26.70% 76.16% 3,598 1,995 – 209 – – – 202 – – 6,004
Champlain UN Con 2,989 50.70% 83 1.41% 76.15% 2,906 – 2,989 – – – – – – – 5,895
Charlevoix—Saguenay[a 3] UN Lib acclaimed
Châteauguay-Laprairie New Lib 3,049 52.26% 432 7.40% 84.71% 3,049 2,617 – 168 – – – – – – 5,834
Chicoutimi UN UN 5,968 50.59% 1,537 13.03% 77.39% 4,431 5,968 – 1,398 – – – – – – 11,797
Compton UN Lib 2,455 47.93% 287 5.60% 80.29% 2,455 2,168 – 499 – – – – – – 5,122
Deux-Montagnes UN UN 1,930 53.26% 236 6.51% 84.35% 1,694 1,930 – – – – – – – – 3,624
Dorchester UN UN 3,235 52.72% 597 9.73% 78.11% 2,638 3,235 – 263 – – – – – – 6,136
Drummond UN Lib 3,950 53.81% 1,027 13.99% 80.26% 3,950 2,923 – 467 – – – – – – 7,340
Frontenac UN Lib 2,242 44.00% 83 1.63% 78.81% 2,242 2,159 – 694 – – – – – – 5,095
Gaspé-Nord UN Lib 1,548 52.44% 275 9.32% 82.49% 1,548 1,273 – – – – – – 131 – 2,952
Gaspé-Sud UN UN 3,338 53.83% 475 7.66% 81.52% 2,863 3,338 – – – – – – – – 6,201
Gatineau UN Lib 3,592 61.22% 1,317 22.45% 76.59% 3,592 2,275 – – – – – – – – 5,867
Hull UN Lib 2,833 50.08% 237 4.19% 76.92% 2,833 2,596 – – – – – – – 228 5,657
Huntingdon UN Lib 1,729 58.14% 484 16.27% 81.95% 1,729 1,245 – – – – – – – – 2,974
Iberville Lib Lib 1,146 47.26% 34 1.40% 87.61% 1,146 1,112 – – – 167 – – – – 2,425
Îles-de-la-Madeleine UN UN 1,030 53.59% 138 7.18% 89.84% 892 1,030 – – – – – – – – 1,922
Jacques-Cartier UN Lib 7,341 68.05% 3,895 36.11% 78.74% 7,341 3,446 – – – – – – – – 10,787
Joliette UN UN 3,466 51.82% 243 3.63% 87.08% 3,223 3,466 – – – – – – – – 6,689
Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup New Lib 6,691 58.67% 2,148 18.83% 81.46% 6,691 4,543 – 171 – – – – – – 11,405
L'Assomption UN Lib 2,043 55.82% 633 17.30% 84.92% 2,043 1,410 – 207 – – – – – – 3,660
L'Islet UN Lib 2,459 56.39% 566 12.98% 84.20% 2,459 1,893 – 9 – – – – – – 4,361
Labelle UN UN 2,226 54.17% 343 8.35% 78.32% 1,883 2,226 – – – – – – – – 4,109
Lac-Saint-Jean UN Lib 2,482 51.05% 135 2.78% 89.15% 2,482 2,347 – 33 – – – – – – 4,862
Laval UN Lib 7,200 55.72% 2,226 17.23% 75.31% 7,200 4,974 – 748 – – – – – – 12,922
Laviolette UN Lib 2,838 49.13% 339 5.87% 72.98% 2,838 2,499 – 439 – – – – – – 5,776
Lévis UN Lib 4,342 56.03% 934 12.05% 85.60% 4,342 3,408 – – – – – – – – 7,750
Lotbinière UN Nat 3,074 57.58% 2,265 42.42% 80.39% – 2,265 – – 3,074
[a 4]		 – – – – – 5,339
Maisonneuve UN Lib 7,019 58.79% 2,685 22.49% 74.31% 7,019 4,334 – 586 – – – – – – 11,939
Maskinongé UN Lib 2,155 57.76% 579 15.52% 80.76% 2,155 1,576 – – – – – – – – 3,731
Matane UN UN 2,892 49.65% 10 0.17% 77.61% 2,882 2,892 – 51 – – – – – – 5,825
Matapédia UN Lib 3,089 56.37% 840 15.33% 78.87% 3,089 2,249 – 142 – – – – – – 5,480
Mégantic UN Lib 4,174 52.64% 418 5.27% 83.35% 4,174 3,756 – – – – – – – – 7,930
Missisquoi UN Lib 2,334 49.60% 155 3.29% 79.40% 2,334 2,179 – 193 – – – – – – 4,706
Montcalm UN Lib 1,654 47.49% 116 3.33% 87.12% 1,654 1,538 – 291 – – – – – – 3,483
Montmagny UN Lib 2,326 53.63% 640 14.76% 76.14% 2,326 1,686 – 325 – – – – – – 4,337
Montmorency UN Lib 1,960 50.91% 489 12.70% 87.21% 1,960 1,471 – 373 – 46 – – – – 3,850
Montréal–Jeanne-Mance New Lib 6,978 60.01% 3,072 26.42% 71.43% 6,978 3,906 – 745 – – – – – – 11,629
Montréal-Laurier Lib Lib 5,050 51.03% 1,028 10.39% 68.22% 5,050 4,022 – 824 – – – – – – 9,896
Montréal-Mercier UN Lib 6,215 53.77% 2,431 21.03% 72.21% 6,215 3,784 – 1,524 – – – – 35 – 11,558
Montréal–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce New Lib 6,827 74.95% 5,529 60.70% 62.16% 6,827 694 – 111 – – – 1,477
[a 5]		 – – 9,109
Montréal-Outremont New Lib 6,869 79.29% 5,368 61.96% 62.62% 6,869 1,501 – 293 – – – – – – 8,663
Montréal–Saint-Henri UN Lib 6,261 64.28% 3,796 38.97% 67.73% 6,261 2,465 – 611 – – – – 229 174 9,740
Montreal–Saint-Jacques UN Lib 3,810 52.84% 1,359 18.85% 66.87% 3,810 2,451 – 490 – 301 – – – 159 7,211
Montréal–Saint-Louis Lib Lib 5,084 64.92% 3,324 42.45% 63.09% 5,084 1,760 – 987 – – – – – – 7,831
Montreal–Sainte-Anne Lib Lib 5,770 76.62% 4,206 55.85% 64.92% 5,770 1,564 – 197 – – – – – – 7,531
Montréal–Sainte-Marie UN Ind 4,517 47.67% 1,997 21.07% 68.95% 2,520 2,002 – 330 – 4,517 – – – 107 9,476
Montréal-Verdun UN Lib 4,449 50.91% 1,936 22.15% 63.15% 4,449 1,415 – 362 – – 2,513 – – – 8,739
Nicolet UN Lib 3,351 53.97% 825 13.29% 79.35% 3,351 2,526 – 332 – – – – – – 6,209
Papineau UN UN 3,617 49.82% 704 9.70% 74.92% 2,913 3,617 – 730 – – – – – – 7,260
Pontiac Lib Lib 1,998 50.85% 67 1.71% 65.21% 1,998 1,931 – – – – – – – – 3,929
Portneuf UN Lib 3,759 48.45% 290 3.74% 80.53% 3,759 3,469 – 531 – – – – – – 7,759
Québec-Centre UN Lib 4,296 59.05% 1,921 26.41% 76.86% 4,296 2,375 – 604 – – – – – – 7,275
Québec-Comté UN Lib 3,539 47.17% 876 11.68% 86.24% 3,539 2,663 – 1,052 – – – – 249 – 7,503
Québec-Est UN Lib 6,431 64.11% 2,831 28.22% 80.44% 6,431 3,600 – – – – – – – – 10,031
Québec-Ouest Lib Lib 2,803 62.66% 1,366 30.54% 77.19% 2,803 1,437 – 233 – – – – – – 4,473
Richelieu-Verchères New Lib 4,776 58.32% 2,137 26.09% 84.24% 4,776 2,639 – 775 – – – – – – 8,190
Richmond UN Lib 2,998 52.55% 684 11.99% 82.92% 2,998 2,314 – 393 – – – – – – 5,705
Rimouski UN Lib 3,584 54.63% 690 10.52% 83.28% 3,584 2,894 – 83 – – – – – – 6,561
Roberval UN Lib 3,424 50.69% 589 8.72% 82.75% 3,424 2,835 – 496 – – – – – – 6,755
Rouville UN Lib 1,761 50.01% 1 0.03% 81.83% 1,761 1,760 – – – – – – – – 3,521
Saint-Hyacinthe Lib Lib 3,615 55.39% 703 10.77% 83.38% 3,615 2,912 – – – – – – – – 6,527
Saint-Jean–Napierville New Lib 3,833 59.89% 1,309 20.45% 83.23% 3,833 2,524 – 43 – – – – – – 6,400
Saint-Maurice UN Lib 3,462 46.54% 134 1.80% 80.23% 3,462 3,328 – 648 – – – – – – 7,438
Saint-Sauveur UN Lib 4,972 56.56% 1,848 21.02% 85.59% 4,972 3,124 – 566 – – – – – 129 8,791
Shefford UN Lib 3,370 50.55% 598 8.97% 80.27% 3,370 2,772 – 525 – – – – – – 6,667
Sherbrooke UN UN 3,914 46.90% 98 1.17% 75.23% 3,816 3,914 – 615 – – – – – – 8,345
Stanstead UN Lib 2,846 50.18% 552 9.73% 76.83% 2,846 2,294 – 532 – – – – – – 5,672
Témiscamingue UN Lib 4,760 56.52% 1,861 22.10% 65.61% 4,760 2,899 – 460 – – – – 303 – 8,422
Témiscouata UN Lib 2,362 53.63% 373 8.47% 83.48% 2,362 1,989 – 53 – – – – – – 4,404
Terrebonne UN Lib 4,891 53.17% 1,044 11.35% 83.15% 4,891 3,847 – 460 – – – – – – 9,198
Trois-Rivières UN UN 5,278 59.69% 1,713 19.37% 87.91% 3,565 5,278 – – – – – – – – 8,843
Vaudreuil-Soulanges New Lib 2,933 56.01% 710 13.56% 85.33% 2,933 2,223 – 81 – – – – – – 5,237
Westmount–Saint-Georges New Lib 5,385 76.25% 4,135 58.55% 64.97% 5,385 427 – – – 1,250
[a 6]		 – – – – 7,062
Wolfe UN Lib 2,035 52.56% 198 5.11% 87.47% 2,035 1,837 – – – – – – – – 3,872
Yamaska UN UN 2,089 54.97% 378 9.95% 87.32% 1,711 2,089 – – – – – – – – 3,800
  1. ^ including spoilt ballots
  2. ^ Affiliations without candidates gaining 1st or 2nd place results provincewide, or otherwise not receiving more than 1% of the total vote, are grouped under "I-Oth" or "Other"
  3. ^ Edgar Rochette had previously been MPP until 1936
  4. ^ René Chaloult was previously elected in Kamouraska under the UN banner
  5. ^ William Ross Bulloch (1,298 votes) was previously elected as the UN MPP in Westmount
  6. ^ Gilbert Layton was previously elected in Montréal–Saint-Georges under the UN banner
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
  = incumbent had switched allegiance
  = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = previously incumbent in another riding
  = other incumbents renominated
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = multiple candidates

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place[2]
Party in 1st place Party in 2nd place Total
Lib UN Ind CCF I-Con
Liberal 65 1 1 1 68
Union Nationale 14 14
Conservative 1 1
Nationalist 1 1
Independent 1 1
Total 16 66 1 1 1 85
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party[2]
Parties Acclaimed 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total
█ Liberal 1 68 16 85
█ Union Nationale 14 66 4 84
█ Independent 1 1 1 2 5
█ Conservative 1 1
█ Nationalist 1 1
█ Independent Conservative 1 2 3
█ Co-operative Commonwealth 1 1
█ Action libérale nationale 52 3 1 56
█ Independent UN 1 2 3
█ Independent ALN 1 1
█ ALN-Lab 1 1
█ Independent Liberal 2 1 3
█ Labour 1 2 3
█ Communist 1 1
Resulting composition of the 21st Quebec Legislative Assembly[3]
Source Party
Lib UN Con Nat Ind Total
Seats retained Incumbents returned 6 14 20
Ouster of incumbent changing allegiance 1 1
Byelection loss reversed - previous incumbent returned 1 1
Byelection loss reversed - new MPP elected 1 1
Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated - previous incumbent returned 10 1 11
Incumbents defeated - new MPPs elected 25 1 26
Open seats gained - previous incumbent returned 3 3
Open seats gained - new MPPs elected 9 1 10
Acclamation - previous incumbent returned 1 1
Incumbent changed allegiance 1 1
New ridings Incumbent returned in new seat 3 3
New MPP elected 6 6
Total 68 14 1 1 1 86

See also

References

  1. ^ An Act respecting the electoral districts of the Province, S.Q. 1939, c. 7.
  2. ^ a b c d e Drouilly, Pierre (December 4, 2017). "Élections québécoises de 1939". donneesquebec.ca. Atlas des élections au Québec.
  3. ^ a b "Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale par circonscription" [National Assembly members by riding] (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "Results by Ridings Outside City; Figures for Ridings on Island". Montreal Gazette. October 26, 1939. p. 6.
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