After dropping numerous hints, the former Montreal mayor becomes the first candidate to officially announce he is in the running.
After dropping numerous hints in the last few weeks, Coderre made it official Friday at a news conference held on the grounds in front of the National Assembly.
Even before he spoke, he issued a statement confirming he will run, revealing his campaign slogan: “Avec Coderre, ca va marcher.”
“I am running because I have the conviction that I can help the party retake its place in the hearts of Quebecers,” he said in the statement. “I invited party faithful to once again become members of the party so we can work together on this big project.”
Should he win the race, Coderre plans to run for office in the riding of Bellechasse, on the South Shore of Quebec. The riding is currently held by the Coalition Avenir Québec.
Coderre alerted the media of the timing of his announcement in a Facebook post earlier this week.
In the message, he said he chose June 21 because the date symbolizes the “profound values which have governed my actions since the start of my political career.”
“Because there is certainly plenty of work to do before the next elections,” he wrote. “But we have the time.”
The next Quebec general election is in October 2026. The Liberals will choose their leader in June 2025.
Coderre, who is also a former federal Liberal cabinet minister, is considered an outsider for many Quebec Liberals.
Analysts speculated Coderre’s attempt to raise his profile by undertaking a personal pilgrimage and walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain — pausing almost daily to post videos of himself — had not really helped raise his profile.
He arrives amid an uncertain atmosphere within the Liberal party, which despite the 2022 electoral loss forms the official opposition in the legislature.
The party has spent the last years in a major soul-searching exercise, seeking to find the correct mix of policies and profiles that will woo francophone voters back while not losing minority support.
To date, no women have advanced their names as possible candidates.