Elections are approaching. With Denis Coderre entering the race to be mayor of Montreal, it might be good for potential voters to know more about his history and accomplishments. 

Here's everything you need to know about Denis Coderre, Ensemble Montreal leader and hopeful mayor of Montreal. 

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When did Coderre enter politics?

Denis Coderre was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament in 1997 representing the Bourassa riding.

During his time in Ottawa, he held several Cabinet positions including Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Minister responsible for la Francophonie, and Minister responsible for the Office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution. 

Coderre resigned from his Liberal seat in 2013 to run for Montreal mayor.

Coderre won the election in Montreal against candidates such as Mélanie Joly, current Liberal Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and the founder of Project Montréal, Richard Bergeron. 

He was mayor of Montreal from November 14, 2013, to November 16, 2017.

What did he do after he lost the mayoral race in 2017?

After he lost the election to Valérie Plante in 2017, Coderre went into the business world. 

According to his Linkedin page, he worked as a Strategic Development Councillor at the Stingray Music Group and an ambassador for the Montreal Jewish General Hospital.

Most recently, he worked as a Special Councillor for Urban Mobility at the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the governing body of Formula 1 and other global motorsports.

In March 2021, Coderre signalled his intention to run for mayor of Montreal again on an episode of Tout le monde en Parle following the release of his book, Retrouver Montréal. 

How was his first run as mayor of Montreal?

Coderre's tenure as mayor was marked with optimism at first but he quickly attracted criticism for his alleged "arrogance" and "autocratic style."

He attracted his fair share of controversy after authorizing the dumping of "an estimated 8 billion litres" of raw sewage into the Saint-Lawrence River in 2015. 

Coderre attracted even more heat in 2016 after banning pit bull dogs in Montreal, a ban that was lifted in 2017 after he left office.

He assumed leadership of Ensemble Montreal in March and is poised to begin his campaign for mayor in 2021.