Valérie Plante is returning as mayor of Montreal. Plante, the incumbent and the leader of Projet Montréal, beat out her rival Denis Coderre.
Valérie Plante has been re-elected as mayor of Montreal, CBC/Radio-Canada projects.
Plante, the leader of Projet Montréal, was leading by more than 10 percentage points over her rival and predecessor, Denis Coderre.
The commanding lead comes after a race in which the two candidates were neck and neck in opinion polls until the last week of the campaign.
Both candidates promised to create more affordable housing, hire more police officers and put more money into community services and green spaces.
But Plante, a more progressive option, also said she would pour additional money into public transit and expand the city’s network of bike lanes, and put tighter controls on landlords with the cost of housing on the rise.
She presented herself as the best candidate to help the city adapt to climate change, while Coderre said he would take a more balanced approach that would encourage more economic development as the city emerges from the pandemic.
Newcomer Balarama Holness, who ran with his new party, Mouvement Montréal, trailed behind with seven per cent of the vote.
Holness offered an alternative to the two leading candidates, promising to fight the province’s new proposed language law, Bill 96, on behalf of English-speaking Montrealers. He also proposed reallocating money from the police toward community and social services.
CBC News has live coverage of races across the province.
Quebec City elects new mayor
In Quebec City, CBC/Radio-Canada projects newcomer Marie-Josée Savard as the provincial capital’s new mayor, beating out Bruno Marchand.
Régis Labeaume resigned following 14 years on the job and endorsed Savard.
Races in other major cities are shaping up. In Laval, north of Montreal, CBC/Radio-Canada projects Stéphane Boyer wins against Michel Trottier.
CBC/Radio-Canada has also projected former Parti Québécois MNA Catherine Fournier as Longueuil’s new mayor.