WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, the wily Nevadan who dominated the Senate for a decade from the minority to the majority and back again, announced Friday he will retire after five terms.
Three-term New York Sen. Charles Schumer faces a relatively clear path to replace him. Reid endorsed the No. 3 Senate Democrat.
Dick Durbin of Illinois, the current No. 2, told Schumer Thursday night he had his support, according to a spokesman. Durbin plans to run again for the job of Democratic whip.
Reid, 75, who shepherded key Obama administration initiatives including the president’s health care law, lost his role as majority leader — the Senate’s top job — when November’s elections swept the Republicans into control. He suffered a personal setback on New Year’s Day, falling while exercising and suffering serious bruises and a lasting injury to his right eye.
In a statement Friday, Reid said the recovery period from his eye injury, which might leave him with permanent vision loss, gave him time to think about his political future.
“We have to make sure that the Democrats take control of the Senate again,” he said. “And I feel it is inappropriate for me to soak up all those resources on me when I could be devoting those resources to the caucus, and that’s what I intend to do.”
Reid’s decision to retire could complicate Democratic efforts to retain his seat — and, by extension, the party’s fight to retake the Senate majority. Democrats need to pick up four seats to win back the majority in 2016 — five if a Republican president is elected.
The Washington Post contributed to this report.
