By Canadian Press

Former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre on tour, eyeing run for Quebec Liberal leadership

Jan 24, 2024 | 10:49 AM

MONTREAL — Former Montreal mayor and federal cabinet minister Denis Coderre says he’s going on tour ahead of a possible run for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal party.

Coderre, who lost the last two mayoral races to Valérie Plante, says there are a lot of people who want him to jump to provincial politics and he is seriously considering the idea.

He told a Montreal radio station today that he’ll be in Drummondville, Que., northeast of Montreal, on Saturday and that he plans to visit Quebec Liberal party organizers around the province.

Coderre suffered a stroke last year, but he says he is in full health and won’t let his past struggles define him.

He represented Montreal’s Bourassa riding in Parliament between 1997 and 2013, holding a series of portfolios in Liberal governments, including immigration minister, and was mayor of Montreal between 2013 and 2017.

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A vote to choose the next leader of the Opposition Liberals is expected in 2025, and so far Liberal MNA Frédéric Beauchemin is the only other person who has declared an interest in running.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2024.

The Canadian Press