Sen. John Walsh (D-Montana). Photo from Facebook

Sen. John Walsh (D-Montana), who emerged as a friend to Indian Country during his short time on Capitol Hill, ended his campaign for U.S. Senate on Thursday.

Walsh said his campaign had become distracted by a plagiarism scandal. The New York Times reported that he used material without proper attribution in his master’s thesis at the Army War College.

Walsh was appointed to serve out the remainder of the term of former Sen. Max Baucus (D), who left to become the U.S. Ambassador to China. Since arriving in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, Walsh sponsored bills to speed up the Cobell settlement checks, bolster Indian voting rights and extend federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Rep. Steve Daines (R-Montana) at the Crow Native Days Parade on the Crow Reservation in Montana. June 27, 2014. Photo from Flickr

Democrats will now have to choose someone to replace Walsh on the ballot. The Republican candidate is Rep. Steve Daines, a first-term lawmaker who also has been reaching out to Indian Country.

Get the Story:
John Walsh dropping out of Senate race (The Great Falls Tribune 8/8)
Who will replace John Walsh? (The Great Falls Tribune 8/8)
Walsh drops out of U.S. Senate race (The Billings Gazette 8/8)
Senator Quits Montana Race After Charge Of Plagiarism (The New York Times 8/8)
Sen. John Walsh ends his campaign (The Washington Post 8/7)