Ken Aden, Arkansas Congressional Candidate, Drops Out Of Race Over Questions About His Military Record

Democratic congressional candidate Ken Aden dropped out of his bid for a northwest Arkansas seat on Monday, less than two weeks after a local newspaper investigated his military record.

In a statement on Monday, Aden said persistent questions about his military experience have "created a tremendous distraction" as he attempted to unseat Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) in the state's 3rd congressional district.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported last month that military documents disprove Aden's claim that he served as a Special Forces soldier. Aden "washed out of Special Forces training, not once but three times," the Gazette wrote.

Arkansas Democratic Party spokesman Candace Martin told the Associated Press that with Aden out of the race, Womack will now be running without a Democratic opponent in the fall.

“I sincerely regret any difficulty that this situation has caused my fellow Democrats, my supporters, and staff," Aden said in the statement. "I will continue to remain a loyal Democrat and do my best to help Democrats win in November."

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misquoted the Democratic spokesman's comment to AP as saying that Womack will be unopposed; the spokesman said that he will not face a Democratic opponent.