Ken Aden, the Democratic nominee in the Third Congressional District, announced Monday (July 9) that he would withdraw from the race.
He was facing Republican incumbent Cong. Steve Womack.
Aden's candidacy has been dogged by allegations that he exaggerated his military service. Aden has denied most of the allegations.
“Unfortunately, the ongoing saga related to my military records has created a tremendous distraction for our campaign, and I did not want this to have adverse consequences for Democrats across the district or anywhere else in the state,” Aden said in a release.
“Additionally, as most of you know, I recently became a father for the first time, and I will be exiting this race in order to spend more time with my family,” Aden added. “I sincerely regret any difficulty that this situation has caused my fellow Democrats, my supporters, and staff. I will continue to remain a loyal Democrat and to my best to help Democrats in win in November.”
Candace Martin, spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, tells how to use ipad camera
tp://www.thecitywire.com/node/22729″>The City Wire the party will not be able to field another candidate. A Congressional candidate replacement is allowed only if a candidate dies or moves out of the state.
Martin said it was unfortunate that his “tremendous service to his country as a veteran was overshadowed by his misstatement on his military service.”
“We certainly respect Mr. Aden’s decision to withdraw from the race. He has a young family to attend to,” Martin said.
Aden was not expected to win in November. Womack, who won the seat in 2010 with more than 70% of the vote, has remained popular with voters in the conservative district.
UPDATE: Cong. Womack weighed in with a statement:
“I respect Mr. Aden’s decision and am sorry for his misfortune; however out of respect to the candidates representing the Green and Libertarian parties, it doesn’t change a thing insofar as my campaign is concerned. Our message is still about the future of our country and I will continue to represent, to the best of my ability, the Third District with honor and dignity.”
Michael Tilley with our content partner, The City Wire, is a contributor to this report.
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