The founder of a group linked to an anti-gay letter won't be allowed to run as a candidate for Alberta's Progressive Conservatives.
The provincial Tories met Saturday to determine the fate of Craig Chandler's nomination in Calgary-Egmont.
Chandler won the nomination last January, but it has been mired in controversy.
After giving Chandler a chance to present his case, Premier Ed Stelmach announced that the Tory executive committee won't endorse Chandler's nomination.
Stelmach said his nomination wouldn't be in "the best interest of the party."
Chandler, who spent about two hours outlining why his nomination should be endorsed, said after the executive committee's decision that he would quit the Tories and was considering running as an independent in the next provincial election.
He said the party's decision would damage its reputation.
"I'm not going away," Chandler said. "I will be very, very involved in the upcoming election."
Chandler said that he still has the support of those who voted for his nomination.
The controversy surrounding Chandler began several years ago when a member of a group that he formed wrote a letter that suggested homosexuals were morally comparable to criminals such as pedophiles, drug dealers, and pimps.
The Tory decision to deny Chandler's run for political office with their party came after a human rights commission ruled that a letter published by the Red Deer Advocate in 2002 broke provincial law. It also said that the letter may have led to the beating of a gay teenager in Red Deer.
The letter was written by Stephen Boissoin, a member of the Concerned Christian Coalition. Boissoin said Chandler -- who was the former CEO of the coalition -- was aware of the letter.
A new nomination race in Chandler's riding will be held in January.
With a report from CTV Calgary and files from The Canadian Press
