The 2026 Quebec general election campaign opened on August 27 with the writ drop for an October 5 vote, leaving Charlesbourg without its long-time CAQ incumbent. The riding’s fragmented field pits CAQ candidate Marie-Josée Morency against PQ’s Gabriel Coulombe, with PCQ’s Éloïse Coulombe also polling competitively amid province-wide shifts away from the former governing party. Recent regional projections show three parties clustered in the mid-to-high 20s, reflecting voter dissatisfaction with housing costs, public services, and broader economic pressures that have narrowed traditional CAQ margins. Traders price the top two contenders near even because no single party has consolidated support in this suburban Capitale-Nationale district, and early-campaign polling averages remain fluid. Developments that could widen gaps include party-leader debate performances, targeted local announcements on infrastructure or taxes, turnout patterns among francophone voters, or any late consolidation behind one of the three leading options.