Montreal City Hall | Valérie Plante tests the popularity of potential adversaries

Valérie Plante against Sophie Brochu? Mélanie Joly? Pablo Rodriguez? Michel Leblanc? Valérie Plante’s team commissioned a survey to find out how the mayor would perform against various potential adversaries, we learned. The Press. And the list is surprising.

Projet Montréal, the mayor’s political party, is preparing for the next municipal election, scheduled in a year and a half.

“Do you have a good opinion, a bad opinion, or do you not know the following people? », asks the virtual questionnaire from the Léger firm, of which we have obtained a copy. The survey then lists the names of a series of prominent Montreal personalities: the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, her Transport colleague Pablo Rodriguez, the former CEO of Hydro-Québec Sophie Brochu first and foremost.

Followed by the leader of the opposition Aref Salem, the head of the Chamber of Commerce Michel Leblanc and the former mayor Denis Coderre. The popularity of the defeated mayoral candidate Balarama Holness, the former liberal leader Dominique Anglade and the businessman Alexandre Taillefer is also being tested.

Friday night, The Press was able to confirm that the survey was commissioned by Projet Montréal. Valérie Plante’s office did not want to comment.

Jean-Marc Léger, president of the firm of the same name, did not want to confirm the identity of his client. “After verification, it is indeed a Light survey and there is no [de question qui teste les] voting intentions,” he limited himself to saying.

Aref Salem and Michel Leblanc keep the door open

While the first two years of Valérie Plante’s mandate have already been in her rearview mirror since last fall, rumors are rife as to the person who will try to take city hall from her in November 2025.

The place of challenger is currently occupied by Aref Salem, who succeeded Denis Coderre at the head of the main opposition party in the municipal council, Ensemble Montréal. When he was elected, Mr. Salem declared that he was serving on an interim basis.

Last month, at a press briefing, he assured that the party would hold “a race [à la direction] in due form”, but refused to say whether he himself would be a candidate. “I had a few calls, I had a few people interested,” assured Mr. Salem.

Michel Leblanc, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal since 2009, has not ruled out the idea of ​​launching against the mayor.

“I know my name is getting around. There is a lot of frustration with the administration in place. So I’m not surprised,” he said late Friday evening by text message. “It’s still very early to conclude anything. »

Dominique Anglade, whose name was circulating at the start of the year, has already ruled out running: “No, I’m not interested in the Montreal town hall, and no, I won’t be a candidate,” she decided at 98.5 FM last month. Those around him assured late Friday evening that his state of mind had not changed since then and recalled that his residence is in Westmount.

Denis Coderre is now eyeing the position of M^me Anglade at the head of the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ). After his second defeat as a candidate for mayor of Montreal, in November 2021, he affirmed that he was retiring from political life.

Sophie Brochu did not respond to a late email from The Press. In recent years, she has often been identified as a resident of Bromont.

Priorities tested

The Léger poll was still in progress on Friday.

In addition to questions to test the popularity of various personalities, the survey also focuses on respondents’ opinions on the work of the mayor of Montreal.

“Do you find that the following characteristics apply to Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante? “, asks the pollster before stating a list: “Keep your promises”, “Effective crisis management”, “Presence on the ground”, “Strength of character” and “Collaboration with other levels of government”, among others.

The survey also tests the level of public satisfaction with the work of the municipal administration in the fight against climate change, the French language, traffic flow, homelessness and cleanliness.