Joe Ceci to seek NDP nod for Calgary-Fort
Former council member admits he face uphill battle in city where last New Democrat elected 26 years ago
Former Calgary city council member Joe Ceci is hoping to make the jump to provincial politics.
The long-time Ward 9 alderman announced on Wednesday that he is seeking the NDP nomination in Calgary-Fort for the next provincial, which is widely expected to be called this spring.
Ceci was first elected to city council in 1995 and was re-elected four times.
But he admits his new foray into politics will be an uphill battle in Calgary.
"It’s going to take a bit of a miracle for me to be the MLA for Calgary-Fort. But if you're not in races you can't win them and that's what I'm in it for."
NDP leader Rachel Notley says Ceci would bring a wealth of knowledge to her team. "We don't want a repeat of all of the damage that frankly we're still paying for from the Klein cuts," she said.
"We're moving forward and we want Albertans to have a chance to vote for that. I think that Joe Ceci is going to give them the chance to do that."
A New Democrat hasn't been elected in Calgary for 26 years.
Barry Pashak and Bob Hawkesworth were the city’s last NDP MLAs.
Calgary-Fort has been held by Tory MLA Wayne Cao since 1997.
He recently announced he will not seek re-election.