Joseph Anthony Ceci ECA MLA (born July 30, 1957) is a Canadian, Albertan, politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Buffalo in the 30th Alberta Legislature. He was previously elected in 2015 to represent Calgary-Fort in the 29th Legislature. He is a member of the Alberta New Democratic Party. Prior to holding provincial office, Ceci served as an alderman on the Calgary City Council, representing Ward 9 from 1995 to 2010.[1]

Joe Ceci
Ceci in May 2015
Minister of Finance of Alberta
President of the Treasury Board
In office
May 24, 2015 – April 30, 2019
Preceded byRobin Campbell
Succeeded byTravis Toews
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Assumed office
April 16, 2019
Preceded byKathleen Ganley
ConstituencyCalgary-Buffalo
In office
May 5, 2015 – April 16, 2019
Preceded byWayne Cao
Succeeded bydistrict abolished
ConstituencyCalgary-Fort
Alderman for Calgary Ward 9
In office
1995–2010
Personal details
Born
Joseph Anthony Ceci

(1957-07-30) July 30, 1957 (age 67)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political partyNew Democratic
SpouseChristine
Residence(s)Calgary, Alberta
Alma materUniversity of Western Ontario
University of Calgary
OccupationSocial Worker
PortfolioMinister of Finance & President of the Alberta Treasury Board

Background

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Ceci was born in 1957 in Toronto, where he lived until 1976,[2] following graduation from local high school Nelson A. Boylen Collegiate Institute. He received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1980.[3] Later that year, he moved to Calgary, where he worked as a social worker. During this time, he attended the University of Calgary, where he received a master's degree in social work in 1989.[3]

Calgary alderman

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He previously served on Calgary City Council as the alderman for Ward 9 from 1995 to 2010.[4][5] In his 2004–2007 term he was a founding member community safety councils in Inglewood-Ramsay and Forest Lawn.[5]

Ceci was challenged in the 2007 election by Al Koenig, president of the Calgary Police Association, who had criticized city council for not being "...as assertive on crime as we’d like to see"; Ceci defeated him by a wide margin.[6] He retired from City Council in 2010, choosing to not run for re-election after 15 years on the Council.[1]

Provincial career

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Touted as a star candidate, Ceci ran for the Alberta New Democratic Party in the 2015 Alberta general election for the electoral district of Calgary-Fort, hoping to become the first NDP MLA elected in Calgary since 1993, when Bob Hawkesworth was defeated in the riding of Calgary Mountain View.[7][8] He won the riding with a majority of over 3000 votes and 49.8% of the popular vote; Progressive Conservative candidate Andy Nguyen finished second in the popular vote.[9] On May 24, 2015, he was sworn in as Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board in the Alberta Cabinet.[10] Ceci was re-elected in the 2019 provincial election, however the NDP lost government and therefore Ceci lost his cabinet position. As of June 21, 2024, he serves as the Official Opposition critic for Arts and Culture and also chairs the Official Opposition caucus.

Electoral history

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2023 general election

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2023 Alberta general election: Calgary-Buffalo
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Joe Ceci 13,221 63.00 +14.14
United Conservative Astrid Kuhn 7,292 34.75 -4.41
Green Jonathan Parks 349 1.66 -0.22
Solidarity Movement Lona Henry 125 0.60
Total 20,987 98.82
Rejected and declined 250 1.18
Turnout 21,237 56.18
Eligible voters 37,801
New Democratic hold Swing +9.28
Source(s)

2019 general election

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2019 Alberta general election: Calgary-Buffalo
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Joe Ceci 11,292 48.86% 13.75% $56,232
United Conservative Tom Olsen 9,050 39.16% 0.92% $60,374
Alberta Party Omar Masood 1,597 6.91% +4.01% $24,282
Liberal Jennifer Khan 590 2.55% -22.11% $500
Green Heather Morigeau 436 1.89% -0.09% $534
Alberta Independence Cory Hetherington 147 0.64% $1,005
Total 23,112
Rejected, spoiled and declined 290
Eligible electors / turnout 38,432 60.89% 20.02%
New Democratic hold Swing 1.34%
Source(s)
Source: Elections Alberta[12][13][14]
Note: Expenses is the sum of "Election Expenses", "Other Expenses" and "Transfers Issued". The Elections Act limits "Election Expenses" to $50,000.

2015 general election

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2015 Alberta general election: Calgary-Fort
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Joe Ceci 7,027 49.77% 43.05%
Progressive Conservative Andy Bao Nguyen 3,204 22.69% -18.25%
Wildrose Jeevan Mangat 3,003 21.27% -18.46%
Liberal Said Abdulbaki 476 3.37% -6.58%
Alberta Party Vic Goosen 410 2.90%
Total 14,120
Rejected, spoiled and declined 114
Eligible electors / turnout 32,411 43.92% -0.06%
New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative Swing 12.93%
Source(s)
Source: "12 - Calgary-Fort Official Results 2015 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ceci to retire from council". Metro. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  2. ^ http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks/Documents/Corporate-records/Archives/Historical-information/gallery/Aldermanic_Galleries.xml. Archived 2015-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b Biography: Honourable Joe Ceci (NDP) Legislative Assembly of Alberta
  4. ^ Trevor Howell, Calgary Herald More Trevor Howell, Calgary Herald. "Calgary-Fort riding: Abdulbaki, Ceci, Goosen, Mangat and Nguyen – Calgary Herald". Calgary Herald.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b "Koenig expected to challenge Ceci in Ward 9". Calgary Herald. CanWest Global Communications. 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
  6. ^ Logan, Shawn (2007-09-11). "CPA prez throws his hat into the ring". Calgary Sun. Sun Media Corporation.
  7. ^ James Wood, Calgary Herald More James Wood, Calgary Herald. "Former alderman Joe Ceci to run for NDP in Calgary-Fort". Calgary Herald.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "NDP looks to Joe Ceci for breakthrough in Calgary". cbc.ca. 10 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Winners and losers: Some of the night's biggest moments". www.edmontonjournal.com.
  10. ^ "Rachel Notley sworn in as Alberta premier, reveals cabinet," CBC News May 24, 2015.
  11. ^ "04 - Calgary-Buffalo". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "04 - Calgary-Buffalo, 2019 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume II (PDF) (Report). Vol. 2. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 15–18. ISBN 978-1-988620-12-1. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  14. ^ Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume III Election Finances (PDF) (Report). Vol. 3. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 68–82. ISBN 978-1-988620-13-8. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
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