Rob Anders to seek federal Tory nomination in Bow River

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again: That appears to be Rob Anders' new mantra.

In April, the controversial Tory MP lost a nasty nomination battle in the riding of Calgary Signal Hill, an area he has represented — in Parliament — since 1997.

Unperturbed, the National Post is reporting that the self-styled poster boy of blue Conservatives is now seeking the Tory nomination in the riding of Bow River, just east of Calgary.

"I really feel that [Bow River] is the Alberta I moved to in the 1980s," Anders told the National Post.

"It’s a place with more trucks, and it certainly wouldn’t have elected someone like [Calgary mayor] Naheed Nenshi, or other liberals pretending to be Conservatives these days. I feel a real connection.

"There’s a strong pro-life movement going on in this riding, all sorts of hunting and shooting ranges."

[ Related: MP Rob Anders slammed for posing in front of Osama shooting target]

Anders has a reputation as an MP who enjoys stirring controversy.

This, of course, is the MP who was forced to apologize for saying that current NDP leader Thomas Mulcair partly "helped to hasten Jack Layton's death."

He's the MP who who allegedly fell asleep in a meeting with veterans and once described Nelson Mandela as a terrorist.

His pugnacious history even spurred a non-partisan group of concerned citizens in Calgary West to actually organize to un-seat him.

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Despite his penchant for controversy, he's always had the support of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"Rob Anders has been a strong voice in our Caucus and Conservative Government as well as a valued member of our team," Harper wrote in an endorsement for Anders' last nomination campaign.

"The Road to 2015 is one that needs strong, stable leadership and I've been able to count on Rob to get real results for his riding and our country."

Anders, however, still may face some hurdles.

According to the Calgary Herald, Conservative Party rules state that "a candidate defeated in one Tory nomination race must be approved by the party’s national candidate selection committee to run in another riding."

Yahoo Canada News sent an email to Conservative Party headquarters to ask if Anders has been green-lighted. They did not immediately reply.

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