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U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns conceded defeat to Jon Tester on Thursday, acknowledging that a tight election had gone to the Democrats, Burns' campaign told the Associated Press bureau in Helena, Montana, in a written statement.
Burns, battling personal scandal with his links to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff as well as voter discontent with the Iraq war, congratulated Tester, a farmer and state legislator.
"I stand ready to help as Montana transitions to a new United States Senator," Burns said in the statement. "We fought the good fight and we came up just a bit short. We've had a good 18 years and I am proud of my record."
Burns wrote that he was looking forward to some time off, and plans to go deer hunting, hoping to bag a "big buck."
Burns' concession coincides with the GOP's expected acknowledgment in Virginia that the Democrat there had won, giving Democrats now a 51-49 advantage of the Senate.