Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills Progressive Conservative Party Constituency Association past-president William Stevenson is not so sure Stephen Khan gave the real reasons for his decision to drop out of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party leadership race.
Last Thursday, Khan, 50, announced in a letter that he was quitting the race because it had become too mean-spirited and divisive.
"Well, sometimes people's real reasons for dropping out are not the same as what they say," Stephenson told the Albertan.
"To me, I'm sure he saw the writing on the wall that he's not going to win," Stevenson said. "He didn't say that he didn't think he could win, he didn't say that he wasn't getting enough support, he just said - other things."
"I was confident that this race would be one of ideas and hope for Alberta's future and I expected it to be a well-run and principled campaign. Instead, it has devolved into vitriol, anger and division," Khan wrote in his letter.
"As such, I can no longer participate in this race in good conscience, nor ask my family, volunteers and supporters to do the same on my behalf.
"We have seen the reputation of the PC Party damaged so badly over the course of this campaign that our credibility may be beyond repair," the letter said.
"More concerning, we have seen volunteers, organizers, leadership candidates, members of the board of directors, our party president and even some PC caucus members harassed and threatened.
"It is clear that there is no room in this race for competing ideas and we have seen more anger and division in the last three months than in the half-century legacy of this party," he added.
"He didn't say that he didn't think he could win, he didn't say that he wasn't getting enough support, he just said - other things."WILLIAM STEVENSON PAST-PRESIDENT OLDS-DIDSBURY-THREE HILLS PC CONSTITUENCY ASSOCIATION
