# Bill Bonko

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. 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. He was re-elected in the 1998 and 2001 elections. 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. 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. He did not sponsor any bills during his time in the legislature, and was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Janice Sarich in the 2008 election.

## 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.

## Election results

| 2008 Election Results (Edmonton Decore) | 2008 Election Results (Edmonton Decore) | 2008 Election Results (Edmonton Decore) | Turnout 35.1% | Turnout 35.1% |
| Affiliation | Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressive Conservative | Janice Sarich | 4,602 | 45.93% |
| | Liberal | Bill Bonko | 3,879 | 38.72% |
| | NDP | Sidney Sadik | 1,295 | 12.93% |
| | Green | Trey Capenhurst | 243 | 2.43% |
| 2004 Election Results (Edmonton Decore) | 2004 Election Results (Edmonton Decore) | 2004 Election Results (Edmonton Decore) | Turnout 43.4% | Turnout 43.4% |
| Affiliation | Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Bill Bonko | 4,418 | 44.63% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Walter Szwender | 3,033 | 30.63% |
| | NDP | Shirley Barg | 1,524 | 15.40% |
| | Alberta Alliance | Gary Masyk | 830 | 8.39% |
| | Social Credit | Geoffrey Chevrier | 94 | 0.95% |
| 2001 Edmonton municipal election results (Public School Trustee, Ward A) |||||
| Candidate | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Bill Bonko | Bill Bonko | Bill Bonko | 6,769 | 62.1% |
| Bev Esslinger | Bev Esslinger | Bev Esslinger | 4,136 | 37.9% |
| 1998 Edmonton municipal election results (Public School Trustee, Ward A) |||||
| Candidate | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Bill Bonko | Bill Bonko | Bill Bonko | 4,867 | 48.3% |
| Bev Esslinger | Bev Esslinger | Bev Esslinger | 3,325 | 33.0% |
| Lynette Young | Lynette Young | Lynette Young | 1,883 | 18.7% |
| 1995 Edmonton municipal election results (Public School Trustee, Ward A) |||||
| Candidate | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Bill Bonko | Bill Bonko | Bill Bonko | 4,480 | 33.5% |
| Maureen Ford | Maureen Ford | Maureen Ford | 2,441 | 18.2% |
| Cathy Kutryk | Cathy Kutryk | Cathy Kutryk | 2,175 | 16.3% |
| Joe Hak | Joe Hak | Joe Hak | 1,933 | 14.5% |
| Larry Phillips | Larry Phillips | Larry Phillips | 800 | 6.0% |
| Perry Dane | Perry Dane | Perry Dane | 565 | 4.2% |
| Victor Varvis | Victor Varvis | Victor Varvis | 559 | 4.2% |
| Dan McAra | Dan McAra | Dan McAra | 428 | 3.2% |