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Former Edmonton Eskimos president and CEO Len Rhodes will be the only appointed United Conservative Party candidate when Albertans go to the polls.

UCP Leader Jason Kenney announced Rhodes as the candidate for the new riding of Edmonton-Meadows Thursday afternoon, just a day after Rhodes stepped away from the football club after seven years in the role.

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“He has not had the opportunity to mount a nomination campaign due to his professional obligations and I don’t think that we should exclude people of Len’s calibre from the opportunity of public service because their professional obligations don’t allow them to run for nomination for six or 12 months,” Kenney said.

The UCP’s nomination rules gives the party leader the ability to appoint up to four candidates for these circumstances and Kenney said Rhodes’ appointment will be the only one the party will make out of the 87 ridings — of which 66 have had contested nominations.