Craig Sauvé is running for mayor of Montreal with a new party, vowing to ‘shake this race up'
Craig Sauvé is throwing his hat in the ring for mayor of Montreal alongside the launch of a new political party, The Gazette has learned.
The independent city councillor confirmed the move Wednesday, saying Transition Montréal is a progressive option that wants to 'redefine the campaign.'
'We're going to shake this race up,' he said in an interview. 'We're going to offer another choice for Montrealers, instead of the two older parties. And we'll try to do it in a way that's fun, respectful and interesting.'
Sauvé will officially make the announcement Thursday morning. In vying for the city's top job, he will be facing off against Projet Montréal Leader Luc Rabouin, who is also mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, and Soraya Martinez Ferrada, a former federal Liberal cabinet minister who was acclaimed leader of Ensemble Montréal earlier this year.
Sauvé said he brings the most experience with his 12 years as a city councillor and if he is elected, he will be connected to the ground and 'trying to bring people together.'
When asked what he would do first if he becomes the next mayor of Montreal, he said he would 'reach out to the other teams and try to see how we can work together going forward.'
'I would have an executive committee where there's not just my party members sitting on the executive committee, but open it up to talented members of Ensemble Montréal and Projet Montréal so that we can work together,' he said.
Since 2013, Sauvé has served as a city councillor representing the Saint-Henri—Little-Burgundy—Pointe-Saint-Charles district, and was first elected with Projet Montréal. He withdrew from the party caucus during the 2021 municipal election over a 2012 sexual abuse allegation he categorically denied. At the time, Sauvé said that he was already cleared of any wrongdoing, following investigations.
When asked about the allegation Wednesday, Sauvé noted that both Projet Montréal and the police had investigated, and police had closed the file. He said it was something he wanted to 'address in a responsible, open, transparent, integral process' but that he is 'trying my best to move forward, with respect to everybody.'
Since withdrawing from Projet Montréal in 2021, Sauvé has remained an independent city councillor. Did he consider returning to the party? He said there were discussions.
'There was a possibility there. At the same time, and this is again, I ran two campaigns federally, right? In between, I ran for the NDP twice, I came close during the byelection. After the second election, which we didn't win again, I started discussing with Projet again.'
The long-time politician said he thought about it, adding he has 'very dear friends in the party' but ultimately decided against it.
'I'm not sure if that's the best motivation to do politics, you know? And to say, I want to be with this party,' he said, referring to friendships. 'I didn't feel inspired, by the recent, how can I say, the recent administration of Projet Montréal.'
He said he doesn't want to bash other parties, but he was 'inspired by the project that Transition Montréal was proposing.' With his experience both behind the scenes and in office, he said he is in a unique position to 'undertake something like this.'
The party will have its official launch Thursday. The new leader says he has already been working to recruit candidates and Transition Montréal plans to run them in all 19 boroughs. They want a diverse team, he added, including different linguistic and professional backgrounds.
'We want to stay above the fray of the bickering and the quarrelling,' he said. 'So we're going to try to propose this other voice for Montrealers that I think will appeal to many Montrealers.'
The party will be announcing policies and candidacies in the coming weeks, he said. Sauvé mentioned two 'main pieces' will be addressed Thursday: one in economic justice and homelessness, and another in construction and public service.
It will mark the third campaign for Sauvé in two years, including two attempts with the NDP in the LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. He said he didn't run because he grew bored of his current job, but he wanted to bring economic and social justice issues to a new level.
'I do love my job and I feel that this move is another way for me to bring my experience forward. And I'm excited about it,' he said.
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