Electoral victory for 6 Concordia alumni

Six Concordia alumni won seats in Quebec’s National Assembly during the provincial general election on April 7.

A seventh Concordian, Liberal Party candidate Rita de Santis — a long-time member of the Board of Governors, vice-chair of the Board from 2005 to 2009, and an Honorary Life Member of the Concordia University Alumni Association — was re-elected in Bourassa-Sauvé.

The six alumni are David Birnbaum, BA (journ.) 82, the Liberal Party candidate in the D’Arcy-McGee riding; Marguerite Blais, PhD 05, the Liberal Party candidate in Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne; Filomena Rotiroti, attendee, the Liberal Party candidate in Jeanne-Mance­-Viger; Jacques Chagnon, BA (poli. sci.) 95, the Liberal Party candidate in Westmount­-Saint-Louis; Claire Samson, attendee, the Coalition Avenir Québec candidate in Iberville; and Richard Merlini, BA (hist. & poli. sci.) 88, the Liberal Party candidate for La Prairie.

Merlini has been involved in politics for more than 20 years. He was elected to the National Assembly 2007 as the member for Chambly, but April 7 was the first time he sought to represent his home riding of La Prairie, on Montreal’s South Shore.

Merlini attributes his success to listening to what mattered most to voters: employment and the economy. He found that his studies at Concordia prepared him well for his present line of work.

“They gave me an understanding of history and political science. The education I got gave me an unbiased perspective on Canada’s major movements, whether it was the Winnipeg General Strike or the rebellion here in Quebec.”

Marguerite Blais, another Liberal candidate, was elected in the Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne riding of south-central Montreal for a fourth time. The former journalist returned to school at 45, completing a joint PhD program at the Université du Québec à Montréal, the Université de Montréal and Concordia.

Issues like train security, renovations to the aging Verdun General Hospital and the reconstruction of Montreal’s Turcot Interchange are foremost on Blais’s mind. But the one-time Minister responsible for Seniors says she’s up for the challenge.

“I have to play my role as an MNA. It’s a big role. It’s an important role.”

Learn about the Concordians who were elected in Montreal’s November 2013 municipal race.