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Callaway and Jean have clashed publicly in the past. In June, he accused Jean of trying to grab power in the lead up to the unity vote by inking a deal with Kenney granting the two party leaders the authority to appoint the people deciding on the rules for the UCP leadership race.

Jean said he didn’t want to pick the people himself, but when it became a sticking point of negotiations he agreed, and then wrote an email to party members asking them for suggestions on who to appoint.

When asked by Postmedia why former Wildrose members should pick him over Jean, Callaway claimed that many of the staff who worked on Jean’s last leadership campaign are now working for him. He also said he’ll listen to the grassroots in a way Jean will not.

“I’ve been a strong defender of the grassroots. I think we’ve got a very different leadership type of style and that’s a great differentiating factor between the two of us,” said Callaway.

Callaway offered few specifics on policy, but promised to roll out more detailed proposals in the coming weeks. He mentioned forthcoming plans on combating the B.C. government’s attempts to block Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline, and encouraging companies to keep their head offices in Alberta.

Callaway has run unsuccessfully for elected office in the past. In 2012 he was nominated by the Wildrose to run for Senate, but was disqualified by Elections Alberta because he didn’t file financial statements by the deadline when he was serving as the financial officer for Wildrose Calgary-Northwest candidate Chris Jukes back in 2008. In 2015, Callaway ran as the Wildrose candidate in Calgary-Northwest, coming in third behind the Progressive Conservatives and NDP candidates.

Callaway said he intends to join other former Wildrose members by marching in Calgary’s Pride parade in September. Jean and interim UCP leader Nathan Cooper announced they’d march in July after Cooper was heavily criticized by the NDP for past comments on LGBTQ rights and abortion.

“I haven’t actually marched in Pride in the past. I’ve marched in AIDS walks and I have no problem. I’ve been invited and I plan on going in the Pride parade this time,” said Callaway.

zschwartz@postmedia.com