Four men in the race to become PC Party leader

With the deadline now passed, four men are in the race to become leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, which was rocked earlier this week by the exit of the only two female candidates. 

Former St. Albert MLA and cabinet minister Stephen Khan was the latest candidate to pay the $50,000 entrance fee and submit 500 signatures from party members across the province.

PC party president Katherine O'Neill said Khan submitted his paperwork Wednesday. He was officially confirmed as a candidate Thursday afternoon. 

Khan joins former Conservative MP and cabinet minister Jason Kenney, Vermilion-Lloydminster MLA Richard Starke and Calgary lawyer Byron Nelson. Kenney, Starke and Nelson had already met the requirements to become official candidates.

Candidates had until noon Thursday to submit their paperwork. There were no last-minute entrants into the race.

Earlier this week, PC MLA Sandra Jansen withdrew from the race and alleged she had been harassed by another candidate's volunteers during last weekend's PC policy convention in Red Deer.

Donna Kennedy-Glans also ended her leadership bid on Tuesday, leaving the race with no female contenders.

O'Neill said the party takes Jansen's allegations seriously and plans to find a third-party to investigate. 

The party will choose a new leader in a delegated convention in March 2017.