Previous elected mayor Gérald Tremblay left office on November 5, 2012, after his party Union Montréal was suspected of corruption and mafia involvement.

On July 2, 2013, Louise Harel, leader of the opposition Vision Montréal, announced she would not be running for mayor, instead supporting Marcel Côté.

[1] [2] On October 30, Paunel Paterne Matondot decided to withdraw his nomination as mayor of Montreal at the election of November 3.

[3] Denis Coderre's support remained steady in public opinion polling during the campaign, while the other established "major" candidates – Marcel Côté and Richard Bergeron – largely failed to make an impression.

Meanwhile, Projet Montréal, led by Richard Bergeron, gained the status of official opposition by winning 20 seats.