2025 elections | Opposition to Valérie Plante is taking shape

Who will be in the running to face Valérie Plante for mayor of Montreal in the next municipal elections?

The vote will not take place before November 2025: an eternity in politics. But it’s also tomorrow morning. Things are starting to work behind the scenes to find big names, and I was able to gather information from a year ago and some dust from D-Day.

The name flashing the brightest on my dashboard at this point is that of Claude Pinard, president and CEO of Centraide of Greater Montreal since 2021.

The 57-year-old man, resident of the Saint-Laurent borough, is little known to the general public. However, he is well connected in the Montreal business community and in the community sector, which could constitute a double advantage in the upcoming race.

In addition to his fundraising, which allows Centraide to raise more than 60 million, year after year, Mr. Pinard has held management positions at Saputo and Hydro-Québec. He is also involved in the governance of the Blue Bonnets racecourse transformation project, alongside elected officials and financiers such as Pierre Boivin, from Claridge.

According to my sources, the father of three had conversations with big names from Quebec Inc. recently with a view to a possible candidacy. Its possible arrival on the municipal scene is also viewed favorably by high-level players in the union sector to whom I was able to speak.

The specter of his potential supporters rakes from left to right.

Mr. Pinard has confided to relatives his interest in town hall, I was told, but he would like to finish the current Centraide fundraising campaign before deciding anything.

This fundraiser ends in mid-December.

If this candidacy comes to fruition, I understand that Mr. Pinard would target recurring Montreal issues to try to stand out from the current administration. For example: mobility issues, public safety, clean streets and management of public funds.

Another name is circulating more and more: that of David Heurtel. A potential candidate with a diverse background.

Over time, this resident of Old Montreal was press secretary to Bernard Landry, president of the Olympic Installations Board, then Liberal Minister of the Environment and Immigration between 2014 and 2018. He is today senior counsel at Fasken and occasional media columnist.

According to my sources, steps were taken with David Heurtel. He hasn’t shown any interest so far, but I wouldn’t rule him out.

On the other hand, personalities whose names have been running for more or less time have officially excluded themselves from the mayoral race.

This is the case of Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and frequent critic of the Plante administration.

He floated his interest for months, but ultimately didn’t show up. He announced it last week on 98.5 FM and reconfirmed it to me on Monday.

Another name that has been circulating is that of Isabelle Melançon, former Liberal minister and current CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Quebec (IDU). His organization is often described as the lobby of real estate developers.

Her profile – a woman from an economic background – was seen as ideal for facing Valérie Plante by many business people. Various attempts were made to convince her to take the plunge. She is “honored” by it, but tells me that she does not want to return to politics for the next few years.

Dominique Anglade, whose name has often been mentioned, also double-locks the door. The response from the former leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec, now an associate professor at HEC Montréal, has remained the same for months. A “firm no,” a member of his entourage told me.

Finally, there is Aref Salem, interim head of Ensemble Montréal since 2021 and municipal councilor in Saint-Laurent. A well-placed source in his party confirms to me that he will not be in the running to run for mayor next year.

Ensemble Montréal stirred up speculation two weeks ago. For the very first time, Denis Coderre’s former party announced a formal leadership race. It has well-codified rules to attract aspiring chefs within a fairly short period of time.

The team does not want a “savior” like Coderre. She wants a democratic and transparent nomination process. The phone is already ringing a lot, it is said.

Multimillionaire businessman Luc Poirier (who sold land to the government for 240 million for the Northvolt project) quickly expressed his interest in an interview with Radio-Canada.

It’s hard to say if it’s serious or not. coming from someone more associated with the South Shore than the island of Montreal.

The leadership race for Ensemble Montréal will begin in mid-October. Those interested will have until December 15 to come forward. By then, they will have to collect the signatures of 200 members and $15,000 in donations or party memberships.

The new leader will be named in mid-February following a one-week voting period.

This race will undoubtedly contain surprises. It also raises some criticism.

Some deplore that the nomination period arrives too early, in view of the electoral cycle of November 2025. Some contenders would hesitate to reveal themselves a year in advance, I am told, which would force them to put their careers on hold without any guaranteed to be elected.

The party’s significant debt, inherited from Denis Coderre’s last two electoral failures, also repels some.

All this sets the stage for a third way.

More and more, I hear about the possible creation of at least one new party, which would be a more centrist option to the well-left policies of Projet Montréal (Valérie Plante’s party).

This has already been seen in Montreal. In June 2013, less than five months before the elections, a certain Mélanie Joly, then unknown to the general public, launched the race for mayor at the head of a brand new party. She obtained an honorable score of 26.5% of the votes and finished in second place behind Denis Coderre.

Many also dream of seeing Joly run for mayor in 2025, she who is now Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. This seems very improbable, but since Justin Trudeau’s government is on borrowed time, some allow themselves to believe it.

A few other names are circulating behind the scenes in view of the next municipal elections. Other candidates will undoubtedly come forward during the fall. Stay tuned.

As for the current mayor Valérie Plante, she has stated on several occasions that she would seek a third term. In 2021, she won the vote with a comfortable majority of 52% of the votes, compared to 38% for Denis Coderre.