Rob Anders not endorsed by Wildrose Party, Danielle Smith says

Rob Anders does not have the backing of the Wildrose Party in his bid for the Conservative Party nomination in the new federal riding of Bow River.

The provincial opposition party issued a press release on Wednesday saying constituents in the riding east of Calgary had been contacted with what sounded like an endorsement of Anders by the Wildrose Party.

No nomination contestant in Bow River can claim the official or unofficial endorsement of the Wildrose Party, said party leader Danielle Smith in written statement.

• Rob Anders makes bid for new rural riding of Bow River

Strathmore-Brooks Wildrose MLA Jason Hale also said he has not publicly endorsed any contestant in Bow River.

Anders, the longtime MP for Calgary West, announced earlier this summer he wanted to run in Bow River after he lost the nomination battle for the new riding of Calgary Signal Hillin April to former Alberta finance minister Ron Liepert.

Bow River covers a large swath of southernAlberta east of Calgary including Strathmore, Brooks, Taber and Vauxhall.