Chomedey race heats up with independent incumbent, QS, and PQ vying for Laval seat

Laval's Chomedey riding has become one of the province's most unusual races, with incumbent MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier running as an independent after her expulsion from the Quebec Liberal Party last year. She is now competing against candidates from Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois, as well as her former party.

Lakhoyan Olivier says her independent status will restore democratic representation. "I will get up at the National Assembly and I represent their voice directly," she told voters. "This is a clear message that as an independent, I will bring democracy back." Her path to this race has been marked by controversy: Quebec's ethics commissioner found she violated two articles of the code of conduct over her use of constituency office and staff during the 2025 Liberal leadership race, resulting in an $8,000 fine. She was also at the centre of a "brownies" text-message controversy alleging money was offered to support Pablo Rodriguez's leadership bid — she denied involvement, and UPAC later said it could not establish the authenticity of the messages. The Quebec Liberals also put her on notice over campaign signs they said were too similar to the party's branding.

Geru Schneider, the Québec solidaire candidate, said Chomedey needs stronger representation. "We think Chomedey needs better representation. We're not duly represented in the National Assembly. You deserve a candidate that's been living here that knows the issues," Schneider said. Marie-Jeanne Rivest, the Parti Québécois candidate, framed the race as an opportunity for change. "As a young person coming into politics, Chomedey has gone through a lot of Liberal Party governments, and we need more," Rivest said, adding candidates should focus on the future: "We shouldn't be thinking of the past; we want to go forward."

Beyond the political drama, Chomedey residents are focused on immediate challenges. Issa Salim, a resident, pointed to homelessness: "We have problems right now, the homelessness, there is only one shelter, it's not enough in Laval." Frederick Hazari cited infrastructure and economic stress: "What we're seeing here it's like a third world country. All the roads need to be fixed. A lot of things need to be fixed. Economy-wise, people are struggling." Ali Khalil said services are the priority: "More services, above all. Services for seniors, for leisure activities, things like that."