Quebec Liberal Marwah Rizqy to step away from politics in 2026
Rizqy says she won't consider career in politics for at least 15 years
Marwah Rizqy, the Quebec Liberal MNA for the Saint-Laurent riding in Montreal, has announced she will not run for re-election in 2026, choosing to step away from politics to focus on her family.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Rizqy explained her desire to spend more time with her two young sons, whom she shares with fellow Quebec Liberal MNA Greg Kelley.
At a news conference at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Rizqy revealed that her weekly four-day absence to travel to Quebec City had become "too great a sacrifice." She emphasized, "I wanted these children so much. I want to raise them myself. My decision is made and it is final."
Addressing speculation about her future, Rizqy ruled out the possibility of running for mayor, stating that she would not pursue any political career for at least 15 years after leaving her current role.
On the topic of balancing motherhood and politics, Rizqy reassured young women that "it is possible to have it all," and reflected on her own achievements. She expressed pride in being the daughter of Moroccan immigrants from a disadvantaged background and said her presence in the National Assembly was "a victory in itself." However, she acknowledged that her situation, with both parents being politicians, made parenting "more complicated."
First elected as MNA for Saint-Laurent in 2018, Rizqy had previously run in the 2015 federal election for the Liberals in Hochelaga but lost to the NDP’s Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet.
Rizqy said her early announcement would give the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) ample time to find a committed candidate to represent the people of Saint-Laurent. The PLQ has been without an official leader since Dominique Anglade resigned after the party's poor performance in the 2022 provincial election, with the first phase of the leadership race set to begin on January 13, 2025.
Rizqy shared that Kelley had offered to leave politics so she could continue her career, but she declined, explaining that as her children prepare to enter school, she no longer wants to be a part-time parent. "My two sons, they deserve a full-time mother," she said.
In his own statement, Kelley confirmed his intention to run in the 2026 election, saying, "I hope the people of Jacques-Cartier will give me the privilege to represent them once again in 2026."
