Laval elects Marc Demers as mayor; Mouvement Lavallois controls council

Marc Demers was elected mayor of Laval on Nov. 3, 2013.

Laval has elected Marc Demers of the Mouvement Lavallois as mayor of the troubled city.

With 95% of votes counted Demers had the support of more than 44% of voters. His closest competitor was Jean Claude Gobé, who won more than 24% of ballots cast.

Demers, the ex-police officer who promised to attack corruption and eliminate conflicts of interest, will be sworn in as mayor of a city still under provincial trusteeship after the decades-long reign of Gilles Vaillancourt.

He will be leading 17 councillors from his party and facing an opposition of just four councillors: two from Action Laval and two independents.

During the election campaign mayoral candidate and sitting councillor Claire Le Bel revealed that Vaillancourt had approached her, saying he still had political control of the city.

Elected councillors in Laval