The former mayor of Montreal is in full campaign mode trying to maintain the momentum he built following his announcement to run for the city’s top job in March.
Denis Coderre announced two candidates, Hadrien Parizeau and Karine Boivin Roy, will run for city councillor under his team’s banner, Ensemble Montréal, in the boroughs of Ahunstic-Cartierville and Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, respectively.
“I’m delighted to be back,” Coderre said at a Wednesday morning press conference.
READ MORE: Former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre announces re-election campaign
Coderre, who was mayor from 2013-2017, was criticized for running a city in an autocratic style.
He says he’s now focusing on a team effort to be re-elected.
The campaign against incumbent Valérie Plante is expected to be close as both candidates are well known and each has a strong base.
“It’s going to be a good race and I think it’s healthy for a democracy to have two solid candidates,” Montreal city analyst Karim Boulos told Global News.
Boulos says Montrealers can expect more small announcements from Coderre as he names candidates to his team.
“The beginning of a political tactic. That is, announcing something in the news every three to five days just to make sure they talk about you [between] now and the election,” Boulos said.
Meanwhile, the dean of the council who’s been serving as a councillor for 39 years won’t commit to whether he plans to join Ensemble Montréal and run for re-election.
Marvin Rotrand says an announcement will be made in May, but not before that.
“I have no comments on that. All I can tell your viewers is that I’m extremely busy at city council,” Rotrand told Global News.
The Montreal elections are scheduled for Nov. 7.
