Montana gov taps John Walsh to replace Baucus in Senate

• John Walsh has already announced his candidacy for Senate
• Max Baucus was confirmed by Senate on Thursday to be U.S. ambassador to China
• Montana race could play a role in which party holds power in Senate

WASHINGTON – Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana tapped Lt. Gov. John Walsh to the U.S. Senate on Friday, shaking up a race that could play a role in which party holds power after the midterm elections.

Walsh, who has already declared his candidacy for the November elections, will replace Democrat Max Baucus, who is headed to Beijing as U.S. ambassador to China.

The departure of Baucus, who held the Senate seat for six terms, sets off a political chain reaction in Montana and on key Senate panels because he was chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. Baucus had already announced his retirement when President Obama tapped him for the diplomatic post.

Montana represents a pickup opportunity for Republicans, who need a net gain of six seats to gain control of the Senate. Republican Mitt Romney defeated President Obama, 55%-42%, there in the 2012 election. Still, Democratic Sen. Jon Tester won a second term in 2012 by 4 percentage points in the conservative-leaning state.

Republicans have argued that Walsh's appointment would give him a leg up in the Senate race. GOP Rep. Steve Daines, a freshman with support from the Tea Party, is expected to be his party's nominee.

Walsh, 53, is a former adjutant general of the Montana National Guard. He has already won the endorsements of Baucus and Tester in the Senate race, which angered former lieutenant governor John Bohlinger, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination.

"I look forward to bringing the values I learned from my fellow soldiers in the Montana National Guard -- a deep sense of responsibility and courage to always do the right thing -- back to our nation's capital where they are so badly needed," Walsh said.

He said he'll be in Washington on Monday and expects to take his oath of office as a U.S. senator on Tuesday.

Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, chairman of the Senate Democratic campaign arm, applauded Bullock's appointment.

"Lt. Gov. John Walsh has spent his life serving his state and his country," said Bennet, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "John is the kind of guy who may not agree with the party on every single issue, but he has the selflessness and courage to always do what he thinks is right for Montana, and that is exactly the kind of leadership we need here in the U.S. Senate."

Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, noted in a post on Twitter that the Democratic statement came out "within seconds of announcement. Nah this wasn't greased! Not a back room deal at all!"