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Valérie Plante elected first female mayor of Montreal

WATCH: Valérie Plante made history when she was named Montreal’s first female mayor. Global's Anne Leclair reports – Nov 6, 2017

Valérie Plante has been elected the first female mayor of Montreal in the 2017 municipal elections.

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“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.”

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.

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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

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.

WATCH BELOW: Valérie Plante says it’s a “huge privilege” to become the first female mayor

Of the eight candidates in the running for the city’s top job, Coderre and Plante were the clear front-runners.

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WATCH BELOW: 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’

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.

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Get the live Montreal election results here.

WATCH BELOW: Councillor says Plante’s election ‘rejection’ of Montreal administration

rachel.lau@globalnews.ca

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