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WASHINGTON — Under pressure from fellow Democrats, Senator John Walsh of Montana, who has served in office for just six months, said Thursday that he was dropping his election bid, clearing the path for his party to nominate a new candidate.

“I am ending my campaign so that I can focus on fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to me as your U.S. senator,” Mr. Walsh said in a statement. “You deserve someone who will always fight for Montana, and I will.”

Mr. Walsh met with his campaign manager and chief of staff in Helena on Wednesday night to discuss the decision, and then told campaign staff members in Billings on Thursday that he would step aside.

Appointed in February after Senator Max Baucus was named ambassador to China, Mr. Walsh will keep his seat through the end of this year. Montana Democrats have until Aug. 21 — when statewide candidates are certified on the ballot — to replace him.

His withdrawal from the race comes about two weeks after The New York Times reported that in 2007 Mr. Walsh plagiarized large sections of the final paper he completed to earn his master’s degree at the prestigious Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. In his statement, Mr. Walsh expressed no contrition for the plagiarism, saying only that the “research paper from my time at the U.S. Army War College has become a distraction from the debate you expect and deserve.”

Skjellyfetti wrote:And Senator from Kentucky and Republican 2016 frontrunner.

Ivytalk wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:And Senator from Kentucky and Republican 2016 frontrunner.

You just can't help yourself, can you, Jay Carney of Blowing Rock?

Baldy wrote:Senator Quits Montana Race After Charge Of Plagiarism

WASHINGTON — Under pressure from fellow Democrats, Senator John Walsh of Montana, who has served in office for just six months, said Thursday that he was dropping his election bid, clearing the path for his party to nominate a new candidate.

“I am ending my campaign so that I can focus on fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to me as your U.S. senator,” Mr. Walsh said in a statement. “You deserve someone who will always fight for Montana, and I will.”

Mr. Walsh met with his campaign manager and chief of staff in Helena on Wednesday night to discuss the decision, and then told campaign staff members in Billings on Thursday that he would step aside.

Appointed in February after Senator Max Baucus was named ambassador to China, Mr. Walsh will keep his seat through the end of this year. Montana Democrats have until Aug. 21 — when statewide candidates are certified on the ballot — to replace him.

His withdrawal from the race comes about two weeks after The New York Times reported that in 2007 Mr. Walsh plagiarized large sections of the final paper he completed to earn his master’s degree at the prestigious Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. In his statement, Mr. Walsh expressed no contrition for the plagiarism, saying only that the “research paper from my time at the U.S. Army War College has become a distraction from the debate you expect and deserve.”