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.”
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
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
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
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.
Get the live Montreal election results here.
WATCH BELOW: Councillor says Plante’s election ‘rejection’ of Montreal administration
rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
Follow @rachel_lau