BILLINGS — Red Lodge author Jack Ballard has ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat from Montana due to medical reasons.
Ballard said Friday he was recently diagnosed with a heart condition that makes it “medically imprudent to continue the campaign” that he announced in late July.
He said he was proud to campaign on issues of rising health care costs, public land conservation and management and the financial challenges facing college students and rural schools.
His withdrawal leaves Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins and John Mues, a Navy veteran who works in the energy industry, as Democratic candidates seeking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.