Sen Harry Reid will not seek reelection

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that he will not seek reelection next year, triggering a race among his lieutenants to replace him. Reid's departure also opens up top swing seat and deprives Republicans of their hopes to take out the Democratic leader. In a video announcing his decision, Sen Reid played down speculation that injuries to his ribs and face -- which have left the 75-year-old wearing bandages and corrective eyewear -- were a factor in his decision. "I have had time to ponder and to think," he said, referring to time off after his injuries. "We’ve got to be more concerned about the country, the Senate, the state of Nevada than us, and as a result of that, I’m not going to run for reelection." He also said he had no worries about being reelected if he ran for a sixth term. Sen Reid has been the Democratic leader since 2005, after his predecessor Sen Tom Daschle (D-SD) was defeated in 2004. When he leaves his position at the end of the current Congress, Sen Reid will have been one of the longest-serving party leaders in the US Senate -- and the third-longest-serving majority leader.
Sen Reid endorsed Sen Charles Schumer (D-NY) to succeed him. Sen Reid predicted that Sen Schumer, the No. 3 Senate Democrat in leadership and a close friend, would win the Democratic leader post without opposition. He said that the other likely contender, Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL), would stand down for Sen Schumer. If Schumer rises to minority leader, it would have big implications for the tech industry. The senator has taken on a great number of tech issues in recent years, from arguing for clearer drone regulations to advocating for stricter corporate privacy policies. It's all part of a concerted effort to turn New York into the country's next great tech hub.
President Barack Obama called Sen Reid an “ally” and a “friend” who fought for many of his top agenda items, such as healthcare reform. “As the leader of the Senate Democrats during my time in office, Harry has become not only an ally, but a friend,” President Obama said. “I’m proud of all we have accomplished together, and I know the Senate will not be the same without him.” The President called into a KNPR interview with Reid and said the retiring Senate Democratic leader will be "hard to replace." “Harry is unique and you know’s he’s got that curmudgeonly charm that’s hard to replace," President Obama said. "I'm going to miss him." President Obama said he hoped to “squeeze as much out of these next few years as we can” to push his agenda in Congress. Sen Reid noted their productive relationship. “The records will be written about the eight years of Obama-Reid," he said. [What name are we thinking of? Starts with a P. P… Pelo… ? Help me]
Ezra Klein writes, “Reid…deserves credit for much of the legislative legacy that will be attributed to Obama.” He explains, “In the first two years of Obama's presidency, Reid's job was harder than even Pelosi's. House Democrats had a 17-seat margin through much of this period, meaning Pelosi could give at least a few of her members a pass on any given bill. Reid usually couldn't. He either held his whole caucus together — a caucus that ranged from Nebraska's Ben Nelson, who would face reelection in a state where Obama only won 41 percent of the vote, to Vermont's Bernie Sanders — or Obama's agenda would fall to a Republican filibuster.”