Valérie Plante has been elected the first female mayor of Montreal in the 2017 municipal elections.
“Montreal is open for business,” the mayor-elect declared to the large, cheering crowd at the Corona Theatre, in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough.
READ MORE: Live results across Greater Montreal
It was a tight race from the start of the evening, with Plante leading with at least 51 per cent of the vote.
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“She ran a perfect campaign,” Global News municipal politics analyst Karim Boulos explained.
“This is a reflection of her getting people to go out and vote.”
READ MORE: Your guide to voting in Montreal’s 2017 municipal election
Incumbent mayor Denis Coderre followed in a close second, looking for a second term in municipal politics after spending 16 years as a member of parliament.
The race heated up during the last week of campaigning after several polls showed the two major candidates being neck-and-neck in voter support.
WATCH BELOW: Valérie Plante declared mayor of Montreal
![Click to play video: 'Valerie Plante declared mayor of Montreal'](https://i2.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/390/667/2017-11-06T02-30-18.333Z--1280x720.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
Plante, who noted her roots as a working mother, campaigned on issues including improving public transport to curb congestion and traffic, while keeping taxes down.
That included her proposal of a new pink line on Montreal’s Metro, which would connect Montreal North to Lachine.
READ MORE: Meet Projet Montréal mayoral candidate Valérie Plante
“I do politics because I care — ultimately what I want for my kids is what I want for Montrealers,” she told Global News during the campaign.
WATCH BELOW: Valérie Plante says it’s a “huge privilege” to become the first female mayor
![Click to play video: '‘Huge privilege’ to be Montreal’s first female mayor: Valérie Plante'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/435/87/2017-11-06T04-41-33.967Z--138.1_848x480_1089227843503.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
Of the eight candidates in the running for the city’s top job, Coderre and Plante were the clear front-runners.
WATCH BELOW: Denis Coderre speaks after losing election
![Click to play video: 'Denis Coderre speaks after losing election'](https://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/423/374/coderrespeech.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
READ MORE: Combating voter apathy in Montreal’s 2017 elections
The Island of Montreal is divided into 15 municipalities and the City of Montreal, which has 19 boroughs.
WATCH BELOW: Projet Montréal’s Alex Norris says Valérie Plante’s win ‘a historic moment’
![Click to play video: 'Projet Montreal’s Alex Norris says Valerie Plante’s win ‘a historic moment’'](https://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/403/854/2017-11-06T02-31-24.951Z--170.223_848x480_1089198147585.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
READ MORE: Montreal mayoral candidates Denis Coderre, Valérie Plante debate
Plante, a former Sainte-Marie district city councillor, was named leader of opposition party Projet Montréal in December 2016.
Get the live Montreal election results here.
WATCH BELOW: Councillor says Plante’s election ‘rejection’ of Montreal administration
![Click to play video: 'Councillor says Valerie Plante’s election ‘rejection’ of Montreal administration'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/408/235/2017-11-06T03-20-35.1Z--1280x720.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
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