his concerns, arguing their first priority was electing a federal NDP government. Nevertheless, NDP activists remained interested in establishing a provincial party. On April 29, 2013, the name "Nouveau Parti démocratique du Québec" was reserved with the Directeur général des élections du Québec (DGEQ) by Pierre Ducasse, Jack Layton's former Quebec lieutenant. Ducasse said it was "not in the plans" to have a structural link to the federal party, and the NDP's deputy national director confirmed they were not involved in reserving the name. On January 30, 2014, the New Democratic Party of Quebec was registered as a provincial party with the DGEQ. Ducasse was listed as the party leader. The party did not stand any candidates in the general election later that year. The first election the NPDQ contested was the October 2, 2017 by-election in Louis-Hébert. Their candidate, former MP Denis Blanchette, placed seventh with 1.35% of the vote. Interim leader Pierre Ducasse had announced he would not be a candidate in the party's 2018 leadership election. The campaign period began on 1 September 2017 and the nomination deadline for leadership candidates was 20 October 2017. On 21 January 2018, the party leadership contest elected Raphaël Fortin was chosen leader. 2018 campaign: Re-establishing the party For the 2018 provincial election, the NPDQ sought to re-establish a presence in the province by running a small campaign that focused on Fortin as leader. Able to run 59 candidates across the province, the party aimed to influence the discussion and gain attention for a party that had not been present in the province for over two decades. Fortin, speaking with media, said that he had instructed his candidates to not, “look at the final results; look at your campaign and how many people you reach.” During the campaign, the NPDQ maintained similar policies to those of Québec Solidaire, such as supporting a guaranteed minimum income and universal daycare and post-secondary, though it asserted it was a staunchly federalist party. Federal New Democratic leader Jagmeet Singh did not endorse the provincial party during the campaign. Election results Leaders of the NPD-Québec Pierre Ducasse (2014–2018) (as interim leader) Raphaël Fortin (2018–present) See also 2018 New Democratic Party of Quebec leadership election Politics of Quebec List of Quebec general elections National Assembly of Quebec Timeline of Quebec history List of political parties in Quebec References External links National Assembly historical information La Politique québécoise