Valérie Plante elected first female mayor of Montreal

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.

READ MORE: Denis Coderre ‘quitting political life’ after losing Montreal mayoral race to Valérie Plante

READ MORE: Valérie Plante’s bid for mayor gained momentum towards end of campaign

“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.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "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

1:04 Valerie Plante declared mayor of Montreal

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.

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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.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "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

2:18 ‘Huge privilege’ to be Montreal’s first female mayor: Valérie Plante

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

1:03 Denis Coderre speaks after losing election

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’

2:50 Projet Montreal’s Alex Norris says Valerie Plante’s win ‘a historic moment’

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

1:32 Councillor says Valerie Plante’s election ‘rejection’ of Montreal administration

rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
Follow @rachel_lau