Richmond--Arthabaska

At the junction of the Centre-du-Quebec and Estrie regions, Richmond--Arthabaska occupies the rolling foothills of the Appalachian range. The riding encompasses the regional county municipalities of Arthabaska and Les Sources as well as a portion of Le Val-Saint-Francois, with Victoriaville serving as the principal urban centre.

Candidates

Alain Rayes (Conservative) — The incumbent since 2015, Rayes had previously served as mayor of Victoriaville beginning in 2009. Trained as a mathematics and computer science teacher at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal, he later earned a master's degree in educational administration and held management positions in education, including directing the Polyvalente Le Boise. As mayor, he oversaw major municipal infrastructure projects before turning to federal politics. He also served as the Conservative Party's Quebec lieutenant under leader Andrew Scheer.

Olivier Nolin (Bloc Quebecois) — A jurist with a background in biology who was pursuing a master's in business administration at Universite Laval, Nolin ran for the second consecutive election as the Bloc's candidate in the riding. He campaigned on environmental protection and received a visit from Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet during the final week of the campaign.

Marc Patry (Liberal) — An engineer and entrepreneur whose family roots lay in the Victoriaville area, Patry had worked for multinational firms including General Motors and Abbott Laboratories before founding SoluMed, a pharmaceutical company specializing in hospital skin disinfection products.

Laura Horth-Lepage (Green Party) — Horth-Lepage represented the Green Party in the contest.

Olivier Guerin (NDP) — Guerin carried the NDP banner in a riding where the party had limited historical presence.

Jean Landry also ran for the People's Party.

About the Riding

Victoriaville, with a population of roughly 47,000, has earned a national reputation as a leader in sustainable development. The city also serves as a hub for dairy farming and furniture manufacturing, two pillars of the regional economy. Surrounding communities including Richmond, Windsor, and the town of Asbestos reflect the riding's resource heritage, particularly the chrysotile mining industry that shaped the region for over a century. Federal issues in 2019 included agricultural trade policy amid uncertainty over the new CUSMA agreement, support for small manufacturers navigating global competition, and economic diversification in communities still transitioning away from their mining past. The riding's population is over ninety-five percent francophone, and its blend of rural agriculture and small-city industry gives it a distinct political character within Quebec's heartland.