1966 Quebec general election explained

The 1966 Quebec general election was held on June 5, 1966, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada.^[1] The Union Nationale (UN), led by Daniel Johnson, Sr, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage.

In terms of the number of seats won, the election was one of the closest in recent history, with the UN winning 56 seats to the Liberals' 50. Generally, Quebec's first past the post electoral system tends to produce strong disparities in the number of seats won even if the popular vote is fairly close. In this case, the most popular party did not win the most seats in the chamber. The Liberals won 6.5% more votes, but were denied a third term because the rural part of the province, where the Union Nationale did well, were slightly over-represented in the legislature.

The victory of the UN over the popular Lesage government was a surprise to many observers. Johnson's campaign was likely helped by his position that Quebec should get a better deal within the Canadian confederation, or should separate if it is unable to do so. In this sense, the forces of Quebec nationalism unleashed by the Quiet Revolution begun by Lesage may have contributed to his defeat, as many rural voters felt chagrin at the rapid pace of reform under the Liberals.

The pro-independence Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale and Ralliement national (formed from splinter groups out of the RIN and the Ralliement des créditistes) obtained a combined total of just under 9% of the popular vote (but no seats).

This was the last election for the "Legislative Assembly of Quebec". Legislation was passed to replace the bicameral system of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council of Quebec with a single National Assembly of Quebec, effective December 31, 1968.

Daniel Johnson died in office in 1968, and was succeeded by Jean-Jacques Bertrand. Johnson's sons, Pierre-Marc and Daniel Jr, each later served as Premier of Quebec.

Redistribution of ridings

A 1965 Act ^[2] increased the number of MPPs from 95 to 108 through the following changes:

Abolished ridings	New ridings
Drawn from parts of other ridings
	Ahuntsic[3] D'Arcy-McGee[4] Dorion[5] Fabre[6] Gouin[7] Marguerite-Bourgeoys[8] Robert-Baldwin[9] Saint-Laurent[10] Taillon[11]
Reorganization of ridings
Québec-Comté Québec-Centre Québec-Est Québec-Ouest	Chauveau Jean-Talon Limoilou Louis-Hébert
Division of ridings
Jonquière-Kénogami	Dubuc[12] Jonquière
Bourget	Bourget Bourassa LaFontaine Olier
Renaming of ridings
Montréal–Jeanne-Mance	Jeanne-Mance
Montréal-Laurier	Laurier
Montréal-Mercier	Mercier
Montréal–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce	Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Montréal-Outremont	Outremont
Montréal–Sainte-Anne	Saint-Anne
Montréal–Sainte-Marie	Sainte-Marie
Montréal–Saint-Henri	Saint-Henri
Montréal–Saint-Jacques	Saint-Jacques
Montréal–Saint-Louis	Saint-Louis
Montréal-Verdun	Verdun
Westmount–Saint-Georges	Westmount

Campaign

Riding contests, by number of candidates (1966)

Candidates	align="center"	UN	align="center"	Lib	align="center"	RN	align="center"	RIN	align="center"	Ind	align="center"	Con	align="center"	Soc	align="center"	Comm	align="center"	DVP	align="center"	PDE	Total
2	10	10									20
3	28	28	20	8							84
4	42	42	42	37	5						168
5	22	22	22	22	10	2	5	4	1		110
6	6	6	6	6	9	2				1	36
Total	108	108	90	73	24	4	5	4	1	1	418

Results

^[13] |-! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party! rowspan=2 | Party leader! colspan=4 | MPPs! colspan=4 | Votes|-! Candidates!1962!1966!±!#! ±!%! ± (pp)|style="text-align:left;"|Daniel Johnson, Sr.| 108 || 31 || 56 || 25 || 948,928 || 48,111 || 40.82% || 1.33|style="text-align:left;"|Jean Lesage| 108 || 63 || 50 || 13 || 1,099,435 || 105,818 || 47.29% || 9.11|style="text-align:left;"|Pierre Bourgault| 73 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 129,045 || 129,045 || 5.55% || New|style="text-align:left;"|Gilles Grégoire| 90 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 74,670 || 74,670 || 3.21% || New| || 24 || 1 || 2 || 1 || 64,434 || 50,853 || 2.77% || 2.13|-|rowspan="6" |  |style="text-align:left;" colspan="10"|Other candidates|-|colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" || 4 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 6,183 || 1,927 || 0.27% || 0.07|-|colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" || 5 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 1,090 || 1,090 || 0.05% || New|-|colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" || 4 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 502 || 431 || 0.02% || 0.02|-|colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" || 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 417 || 417 || 0.02% || New|-|colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" || 1 ||  - ||  - ||  - || 125 || 125 || 0.01% || New|-! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total|418||95! " colspan="2"|108! " colspan="2"|2,324,829! " colspan="2"| 100%|-| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Rejected ballots| 45,681| 16,172| colspan="2"||-| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Voter turnout| 2,370,510| 204,034| 73.57| 6.02|-| colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Registered electors| 3,222,302| 500,369| colspan="2"||}

Party !! Seats !! Votes !! colspan="3"

Change (pp)

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1966 Quebec general election^[14]

Riding	Winning party								Turnout [15]	Votes
Name	1962		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %		UN	Lib	RIN	RN		Con		Total
Abitibi-Est		Lib		Lib	12,390	39.09%	1,664	5.25%	74.55%	10,726	12,390	1,434	7,145	–	–	–	31,695
Abitibi-Ouest		Lib		Lib	5,670	42.51%	1,612	12.08%	86.98%	4,058	5,670	318	3,293	–	–	–	13,339
Ahuntsic	New			Lib	16,282	56.34%	8,355	28.91%	70.61%	7,927	16,282	4,195	266	228	–	–	28,898
Argenteuil		UN		Lib	6,734	44.85%	2,273	15.14%	81.29%	4,461	6,734	245	87	3,488	–	–	15,015
		Lib		UN	10,188	44.81%	104	0.46%	85.86%	10,188	10,084	591	1,871	–	–	–	22,734
Bagot		UN		UN	6,640	57.69%	2,074	18.02%	89.76%	6,640	4,566	163	140	–	–	–	11,509
Beauce		UN		UN	15,743	54.96%	4,558	15.91%	84.77%	15,743	11,185	–	1,715	–	–	–	28,643
Beauharnois		Lib		Lib	10,875	41.29%	2,089	7.93%	86.32%	8,786	10,875	984	93	5,603	–	–	26,341
Bellechasse		UN		UN	6,917	58.80%	2,071	17.61%	83.15%	6,917	4,846	–	–	–	–	–	11,763
Berthier		Lib		UN	7,668	55.49%	1,766	12.78%	85.17%	7,668	5,902	–	249	–	–	–	13,819
Bonaventure		Lib		Lib	10,888	60.41%	3,752	20.82%	78.83%	7,136	10,888	–	–	–	–	–	18,024
Bourassa	New			Lib	14,653	48.79%	5,090	16.95%	64.73%	9,563	14,653	4,420	634	761	–	–	30,031
		Lib		UN	13,166	46.08%	1,188	4.16%	66.70%	13,166	11,978	2,754	376	–	–	295	28,569
Brome		Lib		Lib	3,294	52.65%	470	7.51%	74.49%	2,824	3,294	–	139	–	–	–	6,257
Chambly		Lib		Lib	19,183	60.51%	10,976	34.62%	68.22%	8,207	19,183	3,895	418	–	–	–	31,703
Champlain		UN		UN	15,102	57.71%	5,240	20.03%	86.54%	15,102	9,862	–	1,203	–	–	–	26,167
Charlevoix		Lib		Lib	8,166	54.00%	1,210	8.00%	85.38%	6,956	8,166	–	–	–	–	–	15,122
Châteauguay		Lib		Lib	6,676	34.72%	1,057	5.50%	78.60%	5,619	6,676	727	92	6,113	–	–	19,227
Chauveau	New			UN	17,462	47.40%	942	2.56%	79.55%	17,462	16,520	1,921	940	–	–	–	36,843
Chicoutimi		UN		UN	9,824	49.70%	1,954	9.88%	81.48%	9,824	7,870	–	2,074	–	–	–	19,768
Compton		UN		UN	5,973	56.89%	1,696	16.15%	83.26%	5,973	4,277	–	249	–	–	–	10,499
D'Arcy-McGee	New			Lib	24,709	90.57%	23,161	84.90%	60.88%	1,548	24,709	895	129	–	–	–	27,281
Deux-Montagnes		Lib		Lib	8,511	47.64%	94	0.53%	84.35%	8,417	8,511	821	117	–	–	–	17,866
Dorchester		UN		UN	9,348	55.02%	2,402	14.14%	82.36%	9,348	6,946	–	695	–	–	–	16,989
Dorion	New			Lib	9,855	43.99%	1,275	5.69%	60.58%	8,580	9,855	2,184	281	1,378	–	125	22,403
Drummond		Lib		Lib	14,470	49.27%	360	1.23%	85.77%	14,110	14,470	–	791	–	–	–	29,371
Dubuc	New			UN	7,829	37.16%	1,567	7.44%	84.30%	7,829	6,262	–	3,400	3,577	–	–	21,068
		Lib		Lib	6,673	47.77%	2,281	16.33%	75.46%	2,709	6,673	4,392	195	–	–	–	13,969
Fabre	New			Lib	16,278	47.80%	3,468	10.18%	72.15%	12,810	16,278	4,363	449	–	–	156	34,056
Frontenac		UN		UN	6,902	52.16%	1,601	12.10%	86.13%	6,902	5,301	155	874	–	–	–	13,232
Gaspé-Nord		UN		UN	5,251	51.12%	366	3.56%	86.12%	5,251	4,885	136	–	–	–	–	10,272
Gaspé-Sud		Lib		Lib	8,513	53.48%	1,108	6.96%	86.04%	7,405	8,513	–	–	–	–	–	15,918
Gatineau		Lib		Lib	11,308	51.26%	1,877	8.51%	69.81%	9,431	11,308	1,117	205	–	–	–	22,061
Gouin	New			Lib	12,916	47.32%	2,799	10.26%	61.75%	10,117	12,916	3,507	646	–	–	108	27,294
Hull		Lib		Lib	10,803	50.91%	2,610	12.30%	64.11%	8,193	10,803	2,222	–	–	–	–	21,218
Huntingdon		UN		Lib	3,469	50.33%	45	0.65%	81.51%	3,424	3,469	–	–	–	–	–	6,893
Iberville		Lib		UN	4,470	50.25%	704	7.91%	85.20%	4,470	3,766	431	229	–	–	–	8,896
Îles-de-la-Madeleine		Lib		Lib	3,908	66.59%	1,947	33.17%	89.97%	1,961	3,908	–	–	–	–	–	5,869
Jacques-Cartier		Lib		Lib	18,289	68.34%	11,833	44.22%	65.19%	6,456	18,289	1,808	209	–	–	–	26,762
Jean-Talon	New			Lib	14,257	53.23%	3,821	14.26%	70.11%	10,436	14,257	1,384	709	–	–	–	26,786
Jeanne-Mance		Lib		Lib	16,691	51.85%	6,063	18.83%	62.64%	10,628	16,691	4,271	333	–	–	269	32,192
Joliette		UN		UN	11,372	50.96%	2,236	10.02%	81.30%	11,372	9,136	1,423	386	–	–	–	22,317
Jonquière	New			Lib	11,959	46.91%	4,495	17.63%	79.06%	7,464	11,959	916	4,992	–	–	165	25,496
Kamouraska		Lib		UN	6,161	52.35%	1,406	11.95%	77.12%	6,161	4,755	–	175	678	–	–	11,769
		Lib		UN	9,958	46.90%	490	2.31%	80.38%	9,958	9,468	1,443	363	–	–	–	21,232
L'Islet		UN		UN	5,972	55.26%	1,136	10.51%	80.66%	5,972	4,836	–	–	–	–	–	10,808
Labelle		UN		UN	6,827	57.79%	2,502	21.18%	81.78%	6,827	4,325	536	125	–	–	–	11,813
Lac-Saint-Jean		Lib		UN	10,985	52.22%	2,555	12.15%	86.09%	10,985	8,430	–	1,621	–	–	–	21,036
LaFontaine	New			UN	13,592	44.95%	785	2.60%	67.58%	13,592	12,807	3,374	466	–	–	–	30,239
Laurier		Lib		Lib	15,012	56.61%	6,754	25.47%	62.92%	8,258	15,012	2,131	701	–	–	417	26,519
Laval		Lib		Lib	16,910	48.69%	4,704	13.55%	72.67%	12,206	16,910	3,131	324	2,156	–	–	34,727
Laviolette		UN		UN	12,082	54.16%	3,417	15.32%	80.86%	12,082	8,665	1,559	–	–	–	–	22,306
Lévis		Lib		UN	15,141	53.10%	3,121	10.95%	83.04%	15,141	12,020	843	511	–	–	–	28,515
Limoilou	New			UN	16,547	49.67%	1,651	4.96%	76.50%	16,547	14,896	1,234	582	–	–	55	33,314
Lotbinière		UN		UN	6,218	45.75%	87	0.64%	86.82%	6,218	6,131	–	1,243	–	–	–	13,592
Louis-Hébert	New			Lib	22,532	65.70%	14,156	41.28%	77.16%	8,376	22,532	2,991	394	–	–	–	34,293
Maisonneuve		Lib		UN	12,621	44.68%	1,029	3.64%	60.12%	12,621	11,592	3,457	371	–	–	205	28,246
Marguerite-Bourgeoys	New			Lib	14,603	62.14%	9,944	42.31%	62.30%	4,659	14,603	1,297	173	2,769	–	–	23,501
Maskinongé		UN		UN	6,115	52.94%	853	7.38%	90.50%	6,115	5,262	–	174	–	–	–	11,551
Matane		Lib		Lib	9,045	49.76%	299	1.64%	79.72%	8,746	9,045	–	386	–	–	–	18,177
Matapédia		Lib		Lib	6,165	48.64%	22	0.17%	80.50%	6,143	6,165	220	146	–	–	–	12,674
Mégantic		Lib		UN	11,894	46.38%	588	2.29%	84.08%	11,894	11,306	–	2,443	–	–	–	25,643
Mercier		Lib		Lib	11,759	44.27%	518	1.95%	61.41%	11,241	11,759	3,115	335	–	–	112	26,562
Missisquoi		UN		UN	8,788	60.10%	3,469	23.72%	77.05%	8,788	5,319	390	126	–	–	–	14,623
Montcalm		Lib		UN	5,007	51.32%	470	4.82%	87.00%	5,007	4,537	168	44	–	–	–	9,756
Montmagny		UN		UN	6,763	54.63%	1,426	11.52%	82.59%	6,763	5,337	–	279	–	–	–	12,379
Montmorency		UN		UN	14,151	54.25%	4,524	17.34%	82.94%	14,151	9,627	1,423	885	–	–	–	26,086
Napierville-Laprairie		Lib		Lib	9,683	43.06%	762	3.39%	79.60%	8,921	9,683	–	488	3,396	–	–	22,488
Nicolet		Lib		UN	8,140	52.33%	855	5.50%	89.77%	8,140	7,285	–	130	–	–	–	15,555
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce		Lib		Lib	19,563	76.42%	16,622	64.93%	59.34%	2,068	19,563	949	77	–	2,941	–	25,598
Olier	New			Lib	11,990	47.03%	2,316	9.08%	57.89%	9,674	11,990	3,366	464	–	–	–	25,494
Outremont		Lib		Lib	18,075	71.18%	14,857	58.51%	64.48%	2,744	18,075	3,218	118	–	1,238	–	25,393
Papineau		UN		UN	10,999	45.35%	563	2.32%	78.04%	10,999	10,436	2,504	313	–	–	–	24,252
Pontiac		UN		UN	4,429	51.22%	211	2.44%	72.91%	4,429	4,218	–	–	–	–	–	8,647
Portneuf		Lib		UN	11,265	42.76%	1,287	4.89%	81.37%	11,265	9,978	613	4,407	82	–	–	26,345
Richelieu		Lib		UN	12,257	49.43%	1,080	4.36%	84.76%	12,257	11,177	1,221	141	–	–	–	24,796
Richmond		Lib		Lib	8,258	47.56%	263	1.51%	77.79%	7,995	8,258	–	1,112	–	–	–	17,365
Rimouski		Lib		Lib	11,938	49.84%	428	1.79%	78.86%	11,510	11,938	504	–	–	–	–	23,952
Rivière-du-Loup		Lib		UN	9,691	52.18%	811	4.37%	83.20%	9,691	8,880	–	–	–	–	–	18,571
Robert-Baldwin	New			Ind	19,506	53.32%	7,752	21.19%	73.30%	2,991	11,754	900	144	19,506	1,287	–	36,582
Roberval		UN		UN	11,799	48.35%	1,546	6.34%	82.92%	11,799	10,253	–	2,077	273	–	–	24,402
Rouville		Lib		UN	6,080	46.60%	5	0.04%	81.68%	6,080	6,075	687	206	–	–	–	13,048
Rouyn-Noranda		Lib		UN	6,583	38.62%	1,050	6.16%	81.10%	6,583	5,533	694	4,237	–	–	–	17,047
Saguenay		Lib		Lib	10,737	46.43%	1,232	5.33%	64.33%	9,505	10,737	–	2,444	437	–	–	23,123
Saint-Henri		Lib		UN	10,410	41.42%	1,561	6.21%	63.25%	10,410	8,849	3,034	371	2,470	–	–	25,134
Saint-Hyacinthe		Lib		UN	10,998	46.78%	30	0.13%	78.98%	10,998	10,968	1,544	–	–	–	–	23,510
Saint-Jacques		UN		UN	9,869	49.97%	2,206	11.17%	57.68%	9,869	7,663	1,834	383	–	–	–	19,749
Saint-Jean		Lib		UN	9,226	48.85%	2,586	13.69%	81.48%	9,226	6,640	780	174	2,067	–	–	18,887
Saint-Laurent	New			Lib	21,558	68.63%	14,853	47.28%	65.77%	6,705	21,558	3,151	–	–	–	–	31,414
Saint-Louis		Lib		Lib	8,960	58.45%	4,916	32.07%	55.45%	4,044	8,960	1,646	453	–	–	227	15,330
Saint-Maurice		Lib		UN	14,133	47.42%	1,720	5.77%	81.83%	14,133	12,413	3,256	–	–	–	–	29,802
Saint-Sauveur		UN		UN	14,485	57.73%	5,501	21.92%	73.23%	14,485	8,984	730	893	–	–	–	25,092
Saint-Anne		Ind		Ind	6,609	38.67%	1,638	9.58%	53.52%	4,328	4,971	747	208	6,837[16]	–	–	17,091
Sainte-Marie		UN		UN	11,285	53.10%	3,650	17.17%	57.19%	11,285	7,635	1,930	404	–	–	–	21,254
Shefford		UN		UN	14,549	53.69%	4,172	15.40%	80.21%	14,549	10,377	1,061	1,110	–	–	–	27,097
		Lib		UN	19,915	50.11%	2,634	6.63%	74.58%	19,915	17,281	1,495	1,051	–	–	–	39,742
		Lib		Lib	8,215	49.85%	577	3.50%	77.50%	7,638	8,215	–	627	–	–	–	16,480
Taillon	New			Lib	8,627	38.61%	210	0.94%	59.91%	8,417	8,627	4,097	685	517	–	–	22,343
		Lib		Lib	4,413	49.15%	2,044	22.77%	83.76%	2,196	4,413	–	2,369	–	–	–	8,978
		UN		UN	5,653	51.97%	869	7.99%	84.02%	5,653	4,784	–	441	–	–	–	10,878
Terrebonne		Lib		UN	24,840	47.71%	2,525	4.85%	76.71%	24,840	22,315	4,227	681	–	–	–	52,063
Trois-Rivières		UN		UN	15,362	48.97%	1,045	3.33%	82.88%	15,362	14,317	1,692	–	–	–	–	31,371
Vaudreuil-Soulanges		Lib		Lib	11,120	53.17%	2,630	12.58%	81.90%	8,490	11,120	494	96	713	–	–	20,913
Verchères		Lib		Lib	11,648	55.73%	3,953	18.91%	75.46%	7,695	11,648	1,348	209	–	–	–	20,900
Verdun		Lib		Lib	19,181	66.26%	10,918	37.72%	62.55%	8,263	19,181	1,198	306	–	–	–	28,948
Westmount		Lib		Lib	20,061	78.21%	17,825	69.49%	55.18%	2,236	20,061	1,141	110	1,385	717	–	25,650
Wolfe		UN		UN	5,189	64.06%	2,528	31.21%	89.06%	5,189	2,661	–	250	–	–	–	8,100
Yamaska		UN		UN	4,093	51.75%	277	3.50%	87.90%	4,093	3,816	–	–	–	–	–	7,909

= open seat

= turnout is above provincial average

= winning candidate was in previous Legislature

= incumbent had switched allegiance

= previously incumbent in another riding

= not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

= incumbency arose from byelection gain

= other incumbents renominated

= previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada

= multiple candidates

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place

Party in 1st place		Party in 2nd place					Total
		UN	Lib	RIN	RN	Con
	56				56
46		2	1	1	50
	2				2
Total		46	58	2	1	1	108

Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party

Parties	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
	56	46	6
	50	58
	2		10	6	6
		2	52	18	1
		1	30	44	10
		1		2	1
					5
					4
					1

Source !!colspan="4"

Party
align="center"	UN	align="center"	Lib	align="center"	Ind	Total
Seats retained	Incumbents returned	19	30	1	50
	Open seats held	9	5		14
	Byelection loss reversed	1			1
Seats changing hands	Incumbents defeated	22	1		23
	Open seats gained	1	1		2
New ridings	New MPPs	2	9	1	12
	Previously incumbent in another riding		4		4
	Previously elected to the Legislature	2			2
Total		56	50	2	108

See also

• List of Quebec premiers
• Politics of Quebec
• Timeline of Quebec history
• List of Quebec political parties
• 28th National Assembly of Quebec

Further reading

• Book: Saywell . John . John Saywell . Canadian Annual Review for 1966 . 1967 . University of Toronto Press . Toronto . registration.

External links

• CBC TV video clip

Notes and References

1. Cyr . Hugo . August 2007 . Canadian federalism and treaty powers: existential communities, functional regimes and the Canadian constitution .
2. An Act to amend the Territorial Division Act. S.Q.. 1965. 10. https://www.bibliotheque.assnat.qc.ca/DepotNumerique_v2/AffichageFichier.aspx?idf=104983.
3. formerly part of Laval
4. formerly parts of Montréal-Outremont and Westmount–Saint-Georges
5. formerly parts of Montréal-Outremont, Montréal–Jeanne-Mance and Montréal-Laurier
6. formerly part of Laval
7. formerly parts of Montréal–Jeanne-Mance and Montréal-Laurier
8. formerly parts of Jacques-Cartier and Montréal–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
9. formerly part of Jacques-Cartier
10. formerly parts of Jacques-Cartier and Laval
11. formerly parts of Chambly and Verchères
12. also taking in part of Chicoutimi
13. Web site: Élections québécoises de 1966. Drouilly. Pierre. November 7, 2017. donneesquebec.ca . Atlas des élections au Québec .
14. Web site: Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale par circonscription. French. National Assembly members by riding. . National Assembly of Quebec. September 13, 2023.
15. including spoilt ballots
16. [Frank Hanley]