Ralph Phillip Klein (born November 1, 1942) was the premier of the Canadian province of Alberta and leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives from 1992 until his retirement in 2006. His tenure as premier ended when the Alberta Progressive Conservatives' new leader, Ed Stelmach, assumed office December 14, 2006, exactly fourteen years after Klein first became Premier. He boasts the nickname of "King Ralph", which is a reference both to his political longevity and his perceived autocratic style of leadership, also ironically because of his everyman persona which was the key plot device in the popular film of the same name released on the eve of his election victory as premier.