Bill Bonko

Infobox_Politician
name = Bill Bonko
small

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caption =
birth_date =
birth_place =
residence = Edmonton
office = MLA for Edmonton Decore
term_start = November 22, 2004
term_end = March 3, 2008
predecessor = New district
successor = Janice Sarich
office1 = Trustee on Edmonton Public School Board (Ward A)
term_start1= October 16, 1995
term_end1 = October 18, 2004
predecessor1 = New ward
successor1 = Bev Esslinger
party = Liberal
spouse = Michele
children = Two
occupation = Circulation manager

Bill Bonko is a Canadian politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was first elected in the 2004 election as a Liberal in Edmonton Decore, but was defeated in his 2008 re-election bid by Progressive Conservative Janice Sarich.

Early life

Bill Bonko graduated from Queen Elizabeth High School.archive.org |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20061005102336/http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=29 |title=Bonko's legislature biography] He worked for fifteen years as the circulation manager for the Edmonton Journal.

Political career

Bonko first sought political office in the 1995 municipal election, when he was elected to the Board of Edmonton Public Schools as trustee for Ward A. [cite web |url=http://www.edmontonelection.ca/images/stories/pdf/results/1995.pdf |title=Edmonton 1995 municipal election results |accessdate=2008-03-23] He was re-elected in the 1998 and 2001 elections. [cite web |url=http://www.edmontonelection.ca/images/stories/pdf/results/1998.pdf |title=Edmonton 1998 municipal election results |accessdate=2008-03-23] [cite web |url=http://www.edmontonelection.ca/images/stories/pdf/results/2001.pdf |title=Edmonton 2001 municipal election results |accessdate=2008-03-23] He did not seek re-election at the conclusion of his third term. Instead, he ran for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in Edmonton Decore in the 2004 provincial election as a Liberal.cite web |url=http://elections.ab.ca/Public Website/files/Statements/29.pdf |title=2004 Alberta provincial election results, Edmonton Decore |accessdate=2008-03-23] He won 44.63% of the vote and defeated his opponents, who included former MLA Walter Szwender who was running for the Progressive Conservatives and Gary Masyk, an incumbent MLA whose riding had been abolished and who had crossed the floor to become the Alberta Alliance's first MLA after being elected as PC. [cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2004/06/29/alta_defect040628.html |title=Alberta lawmaker defects from Klein's Conservatives |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=June 30, 2004 |accessdate=2008-03-23] He did not sponsor any bills during his time in the legislature, [cite web |url=http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=bills_statusarchive |title=Bills moved in Alberta legislature, 1989-present |accessdate=2008-03-23] and was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Janice Sarich in the 2008 election. [cite web |url=http://results.elections.ab.ca/29.htm |title=2008 Alberta provincial election results, Edmonton Decore |accessdate=2008-03-23]

Personal life

Bonko is married to Michele; the pair has two children, including Bill Jr. who ran as a Liberal candidate in Athabasca-Redwater in the 2008 provincial election. [cite news |url=http://www.ctvedmonton.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080303/EDM_bonko_030308/20080303/?hub=EdmontonHome |title=Both Bonkos go down after Tory knockout |publisher=CTV.ca |accessdate=2008-03-23]

Election results

References