Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid retiring next year
Nevada’s Reid endorses Schu m er to tak e party post.
Most tributes to Reid on Friday, regardless of political party, used words like “fighter” to describe him. The Democrat from Nevada immediately endorsed New York Sen. Chuck Schumer to succeed him as the chamber’s top Democrat,
— Senate WASHINGTON Minority Leader Harry Reid, a p ugnacious tactician w ho united Democrats to help deliver tough victories for President Barack Obama, said Friday he’s retiring w hen his term ends next year.
He immediately endorsed brash New York Sen. Chuck Schumer to succeed him as the chamber’s top Democrat.
Reid, 75, rose from hardscrabble beginnings in Nevada. Friends said his doggedness and indifference to p op ularity help ed rebuff Rep ublicans w ho 'iercely op p ose Obama on health care, sp ending, immigration and other issues.
But critics say Reid — given to harsh comments that even included telling President George W. Bush his dog w as fat — added to Washington’s p oisonous p artisanship , p articularly by changing Senate 'ilibuster rules in 2013 to enable Obama to ap p oint more judges.
Reid reinforced that image in Friday’s announcement w ith a w arning to his Rep ublican counterp art, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
“My friend, Senator McConnell, don’t be too elated,” he said. “I’m going to be here for 22 months and you know w hat I’m going to be doing? The same thing I’ve done since I 'irst came to the Senate.”
On Friday, Schumer seized the inside track to succeed Reid, w inning a p ledge of sup p ort from p otential rival Dick Durbin of Illinois. Durbin is currently Reid’s No. 2; Schumer is No. 3.
Stylistically, Reid and Schumer are miles ap art. Schumer is voluble, outgoing and eager to talk camp aign strategy, on TV or anyw here else. He sometimes w orks w ith Rep ublicans, including on an unsuccessful effort to overhaul immigration law s in 2013.
But Schumer, 64, is a p artisan 'ighter too. He headed the p arty’s Senate camp aign op erations in 2006 and 2008, w hen Democrats made sizable gains.
Reid, w ho came to Congress in 1982, lost his role as Senate majority leader w hen last fall’s elections sw ep t Rep ublicans into p ow er. He suffered serious eye and facial injuries on New Year’s Day w hile exercising at his Nevada home, but denied that p layed a role in his decision.
He typ ically has w on Nevada elections by narrow margins, and Rep ublicans w ere heavily targeting him in 2016. Both p arties now p lan all-out bids for his op en seat.