The Parti Québécois has had eight leaders in its tumultuous 48-year history.
Pierre Karl Péladeau, who quit on Monday, was its shortest-lived, having served for just under a year.
The party’s fortunes soared under founder René Lévesque, who managed to garner 49 per cent of the vote in the 1981 election, less than a year after the defeat of the Yes side in a sovereignty referendum.
With Pauline Marois at the helm, the party saw its popular vote fall to 25 per cent in the 2014 election, the lowest score since the party’s first election, in 1970.
As the PQ prepares for a leadership campaign, here’s a look at the history of the party, and how it did under each leader.
1968
René Lévesque, a former provincial Liberal cabinet minister, becomes leader of a new sovereignist party, the Parti Québécois.
1970
PQ elects seven MNAs, garners 23 per cent of the vote.
1973
PQ elects six MNAs, but increases popular vote to 30 per cent and becomes official opposition.
1976
PQ wins power with 41 per cent of the vote.
1980
PQ loses sovereignty referendum. No: 59.6 per cent; Yes: 40.4 per cent.
1981
PQ wins re-election with 49 per cent of the vote.
1985
Lévesque quits as PQ leader. Pierre-Marc Johnson takes over, Liberals regain power under Robert Bourassa. PQ gets 39 per cent of the vote.
1988
Jacques Parizeau takes over as PQ leader.
1989
Liberals retain power. PQ gets 40 per cent of the vote.
1994
PQ wins the election with 45 per cent of the vote.
1995
Second sovereignty referendum. No: 50.6 per cent; Yes: 49.4 per cent. The day after the referendum, Parizeau announces he will soon step down as premier and PQ leader.
1996
Parizeau resigns. Lucien Bouchard takes over as PQ leader and premier.
1998
PQ wins election with 43 per cent of the vote. The Liberals win fewer seats, but get more votes (43.5 per cent).
2001
Bouchard quits. Bernard Landry takes over as PQ leader.
2003
Liberals regain power under Jean Charest. PQ gets 33 per cent of the vote.
2005
André Boisclair becomes PQ leader.
2007
Liberals retain power, but form a minority government. The PQ is reduced to third place, behind the Action démocratique du Québec. Pauline Marois takes over as PQ leader.
2008
Liberals win election. With 35 per cent of the vote, the PQ climbs back into second place, ahead of the ADQ.
2012
PQ wins the election with 32 per cent of the vote. It’s a minority government.
2014
Liberals regain power under Philippe Couillard. PQ gets 25 per cent of the vote.
2015
Pierre Karl Péladeau takes over as PQ leader.
2016
Péladeau quits as leader.
