Pierre Karl Péladeau's struggle to connect with voters seen in Saint-Jérôme

Pierre-Karl Péladeau's departure from politics not only leaves a vacuum at the top of the Parti Québécois, but the people in his former riding of Saint-Jérôme now find themselves without an MNA.

However, reaction among residents in the community northwest of Montreal is mixed in the wake of his surprise decision to quit politics.

Saint-Jérôme Mayor Stéphane Maher said that while he personally appreciated Péladeau's efforts to boost the local economy, the former PQ leader struggled to connect with voters in the area. 

"I think there's gap between the perception of what people have of him and who he is," Maher said.

"It's so strange because at the time Mr. Péladeau was in the field every single week."

• ANALYSIS | Pierre Karl Péladeau's timid reign reflected Parti Québécois's identity crisis
• Pierre Karl Péladeau resignation has politicians pondering work-life balance
• 6 potential candidates to replace Pierre Karl Péladeau

Maher said Péladeau struggled to shed his reputation as a union-busting businessman.

It didn't help that Quebecor, the media giant of which Péladeau is a majority shareholder, locked out workers at a printing plant in neighbouring Mirabel. 

Many of them lived in Saint-Jérôme, Maher said.

Many residents seem to agree with Maher's assessment.

At the local Tim Horton's, some customers said they felt Péladeau was a businessman not a politician who was in a conflict of interest as the owner of Quebecor. 

Others said it was time for an influx of youth after the former MNA's short-lived stint at the helm of the PQ.

Linda Perron had a more positive take.

​"He did things that many of our previous MNAs did not do," Perron said. 

"He helped businesses in the Bellefeuille section of Saint-Jérôme, where I live."

Battleground riding

The riding, previously known as Prévost, has flip-flopped between the PQ and Coalition Avenir Québec since 2008.

Prior to Péladeau, the riding was held by another big-name candidate: former Montreal police chief and anti-corruption crusader Jacques Duchesneau of the Coalition Avenir Québec.

Péladeau swooped into the riding as a star candidate in the 2014 election. 

• Key moments in Pierre Karl Péladeau's short political life
• Julie Snyder on Pierre Karl Péladeau, marriage and politics

He ended up beating the CAQ's Patrice Charbonneau by 1,000 votes.

At his first news conference in the community, he famously pumped his fist into the air with a vow to make Quebec a country.

"Quebec has all the means to succeed. We have financial resources, we have human resources, we have natural resources," Péladeau said to cheers from the party faithful in March 2014.

"We've got everything (we need) for a country to be alive and kicking."

That challenge is now left to the PQ's next leader.

A date for a byelection in Saint-Jérôme hasn't been set.