Hot Trends: Denis Coderre elected mayor of Montreal

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MONTREAL - Longtime federal politician Denis Coderre has been declared the 44th mayor of Montreal. Get live Montreal election results here.

As of 9 p.m. EST, the former immigration minister and populist political organizer for the federal Liberals has a huge lead with nearly 34 per cent of the votes.

Melanie Joly is holding steady in second place, with 26 per cent of the ballots while Projet Montreal's Richard Bergeron is at third place with 25 per cent.

In fourth place, Marcel Coté of Coalition Montreal is coming in just under 13 per cent.

READ MORE: Your guide to the Island of Montreal's 2013 municipal elections

Across Quebec, voters are hoping to turn the page on an era of scandal-ridden leadership in province-wide municipal elections.

Sunday's elections come as the province's Charbonneau Commission continues to hear testimony detailing a system of kickbacks and illegal party financing at the municipal level.

Coderre was the perceived frontrunner from the start, as a household name in Quebec. But he was dogged by attacks from his opponents on ethics issues, most notably his party's ties to former members of the corruption-ridden, now-dissolved Union Montreal party.

During the last municipal election, in 2009, voter turnout across the province was around 45 per cent. In Montreal, it was 39 per cent.

But the early turnout results appeared relatively low.

Get Montreal election analysis, commentary and results via our live blog here.

With files from the Canadian Press

© Shaw Media, 2013