Walsh withdraws from Senate campaign

Sen. John Walsh announced Aug. 7 that he is withdrawing from his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

The Democrat’s announcement came after allegations surfaced that he had plagiarized large portions of a 2007 research project he wrote for his master’s degree.

“The 2007 research paper from my time at the U.S. Army War College has become a distraction from the debate you expect and deserve,” he said in a letter to Montanans. “I am ending my campaign so that I can focus on fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to me as your U.S. Senator. You deserve someone who will always fight for Montana, and I will.”

His announcement came as a U.S. Army War College investigation was slated to begin. Walsh said he unintentionally used wrongfully cited passages and suggested post-traumatic distress syndrome stemming from his deployment to Iraq as a reason. He later withdrew that comment.

It’s now up to the Montana Democratic Party to hold a nominating convention to choose a replacement candidate before a Aug. 20 deadline. The convention will take place Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena.

Members of the convention will include Democratic leaders from each county’s party committee, along with federal and statewide elected officials and the party’s executive board.

Potential candidates will be nominated and provided a chance to speak to the delegates before voting at the convention gets underway. The nominee who receives a majority of votes will be selected as the replacement candidate, according to the party’s rules.

Walsh had faced a tough race against Republican Rep. Steve Daines before the plagiarism allegations surfaced. His withdrawal is expected to help Daines, who gave up his House seat to run for the Senate. Republicans hope to gain six seats this year and take control of the Senate.

Walsh was already a declared candidate for the Senate when Gov. Steve Bullock appointed him in February to replace former Sen. Max Baucus, who had resigned to become ambassador to China.

The only U.S. senator to serve in the Iraq war, Walsh had a 33-year-long career in the Montana National Guard before winning election as lieutenant governor with Bullock in 2013.