Quicksketch of Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal
Ruba Ghazal is entering her first campaign as spokesperson for of Québec solidaire. She’s at the head of a brand-new slate, as veterans Manon Massé and Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois have been replaced by Ghazal and Sol Zanetti. The party has a male and female spokesperson instead of a leader, but has chosen Ghazal to become premier if the party forms government.
Age: 48
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Early years: Ghazal was born to a Palestinian family in Lebanon. She immigrated to Quebec when she was 10 years old.
Before politics: Ghazal worked in environmental management for manufacturing companies including Bombardier and Church & Dwight. When she was elected for Québec solidaire, she was director of health, security and environment for American glass-manufacturing company O-I.
Education: Ghazal studied business administration at HEC Montréal for her bachelor’s degree, which she obtained in 2000. In 2003, she got a master’s degree in environment at the Université de Sherbrooke.
Family: Ruba Ghazal has been in a relationship with actor Hubert Proulx for around five years.
Political record: Ghazal was a founding member of Québec solidaire in 2006. She was elected in the Montreal electoral division of Mercier in 2018.
She became co-spokesperson of the party on Nov. 16, 2024, when she was the only candidate in the race to replace Émilise Lessard-Therrien, who resigned months after replacing Manon Massé in the role.
Ghazal became the party’s parliamentary leader on March 21, 2025, after her co-spokesperson, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, resigned. She is going into the elections alongside Sol Zanetti, who replaced Nadeau-Dubois.
Riding: Mercier, in Montreal
Quote: "We have the right to demand that the country we are building be feminist, inclusive, and supported by a green economy," she said when she was announced to be the party's choice for premier of Quebec. "If the Parti Québécois bus is too small, … at Québec Solidaire, we’ll rent orange trains. There’s room on our orange trains for everyone!"
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.