Denis Coderre is quitting municipal politics, after 2nd mayoral defeat
CBC
Denis Coderre is quitting municipal politics — again — and will not be the leader of the opposition at city hall.
Coderre announced his decision Friday following a closed-door meeting with members of his party, Ensemble Montréal, at a community centre in the city's Villeray neighbourhood.
He failed to win back his former spot as the mayor of Montreal during last Sunday's municipal elections, losing to incumbent Valérie Plante by 14 percentage points, an even wider margin than when she defeated him in 2017.
Coderre told a group of reporters that after 40 years in politics, it was time to move on for good.
He also said he felt the latest municipal campaign was a referendum on his personality, instead of the parties' platforms.
"In the end, it wasn't about the issues, it was about me," he said.
Four years ago, Coderre also stepped away from his party, which was called Équipe Denis Coderre, but was rebranded as Ensemble Montréal after he left.
His departure leaves a leadership void in the opposition at city hall.
The previous opposition leader, Lionel Perez, who is also a member of Ensemble Montréal, lost his bid to become borough mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in Sunday's election.
Last March, Coderre released a book called Retrouver Montréal, which he touted as his vision for the city, while announcing he would once again run for mayor.
For much of the campaign, opinion polls suggested a tight race between Plante and Coderre, who emphasized the importance of economic development and public safety during his mayoral run.
In the final week, the veteran politician and former federal cabinet minister came under criticism for initially refusing to disclose the consulting work he did prior to confirming his candidacy.
WATCH | Denis Coderre explains why he is leaving politics:
When asked why he believes he lost two consecutive elections to Plante, Coderre did not provide a direct answer.