3 councillors seeking Projet Montral leadership, chance to take on Coderre

The stage isset for the Projet Montral leadership race.

With the nomination period now over, three candidates Guillaume Lavoie, Franois Limoges and Valrie Plante will byvying to take charge of the largest opposition party at city hall.

The party will announce its new leader December 4. The next municipal election will be in November 2017.

All three leadership candidates are currentlycity councillorsfor the party.

Lavoie, the party's finance critic, representsRosemontLa Petite-Patrie.Limoges, a councillor for the party since 2009, alsorepresentsRosemontLaPetite-Patrie.Plante is the deputy mayor of theVille-Marie borough.

The three candidates will debate each other Oct. 30 at Collge de Maisonneuve.

• Would a merged opposition have a shot at taking on Denis Coderre?

Mergerspeculation

In the weeks running up to the nomination deadline, there had been speculation thatJustine McIntyre, leader ofVrai Changement pour Montral, a smaller opposition party, would run for the Projetleadership.

The parties have been discussing the possibility of joiningforces ahead of the municipal election.

Even though Projet was open to lettingMcIntyre run, she decided not to enter the race, saying the merger talks needed more time.

SeveralVraiChangementstaffers have since announced they are leaving the party, telling Radio-Canada the party's councillors were getting in the way of their work.

• Vrai Changement leader won't run for Projet Montral leadership