Harry Reid

Harry Reid
Born	Harry Mason Reid Jr. 2 12, 1939
Birthplace	Searchlight, Nevada, U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Known for	Senate Majority Leader (2007–2015), Senate Minority Leader (2005–2007, 2015–2017), U.S. Senator from Nevada (1987–2017)
Education	George Washington University (J.D.)
Children	5
Website	[https://web.archive.org/web/20170102042007/http://www.reid.senate.gov Official site]

Harry Mason Reid Jr. (December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Nevada in the United States Senate for thirty years, from 1987 to 2017, making him the longest-serving senator in the state's history. Born in the small desert community of Searchlight, Nevada, a town so remote it had no high school, Reid rose through the ranks of Nevada and national politics to become one of the most consequential legislative leaders of the early twenty-first century. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2015, shepherding landmark legislation through the Senate during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, including the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Before entering the Senate, Reid held a series of public offices in Nevada, including member of the Nevada Assembly, Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and member of the United States House of Representatives representing Nevada's 1st congressional district. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 until his retirement in January 2017, serving as both Minority and Majority Leader during that period. Reid was succeeded as Senate Democratic leader by Chuck Schumer, whose leadership bid Reid had endorsed. He died on December 28, 2021, in Henderson, Nevada, from pancreatic cancer, just two weeks after Las Vegas's principal airport was renamed Harry Reid International Airport in his honor.

Early Life

Harry Mason Reid Jr. was born on December 2, 1939, in Searchlight, Nevada, a small, unincorporated mining town located approximately 60 miles south of Las Vegas. Searchlight was an isolated and economically modest community during Reid's youth. The town lacked basic municipal infrastructure that most American communities took for granted, including a high school, a hospital, and a local government. Reid's father, Harry Mason Reid Sr., was a miner who worked in the local gold and silver mines, and the family lived in humble circumstances.

Reid grew up in difficult conditions. The Reid family home lacked indoor plumbing for much of his childhood. His father struggled with alcoholism and depression, and ultimately died by suicide. Reid later spoke publicly about the hardship of his upbringing in Searchlight and the impact it had on his character and political outlook.

Because Searchlight had no high school, Reid had to travel considerable distance to attend Basic High School in Henderson, Nevada, where he boarded during the school week. It was at Basic High School that Reid first encountered Mike O'Callaghan, who served as his boxing coach and civics teacher. O'Callaghan became a lifelong mentor to Reid, and the relationship between the two men would profoundly shape Reid's political career. Reid participated in the school's boxing program and developed a tenacity and competitive spirit that observers noted throughout his decades in public life.

Reid's roots in Searchlight and his working-class background informed much of his political identity. Throughout his career, he frequently referenced his upbringing in the small mining town to underscore his connection to ordinary Nevadans and his understanding of economic hardship. The town itself became closely associated with Reid's public persona and political narrative.

Education

Reid attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He went on to pursue a law degree at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., earning his Juris Doctor degree. While attending law school, Reid supported himself financially by working as a United States Capitol Police officer, gaining early exposure to the workings of the federal government.

After completing his legal education, Reid returned to Nevada to begin his career in public service and the practice of law. He became the city attorney for Henderson, Nevada, a position that served as his entry into public life and local politics.

Career

Early Political Career in Nevada

Reid's political career began in earnest in 1968, when he was elected to the Nevada Assembly, representing the 4th district. He served in the Assembly from January 6, 1969, to January 4, 1971.

In 1970, Reid's former boxing coach and mentor, Mike O'Callaghan, ran for Governor of Nevada and selected Reid as his running mate for lieutenant governor. The O'Callaghan-Reid ticket won the general election, and Reid served as the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada from January 4, 1971, to January 5, 1975, serving alongside Governor O'Callaghan. In this role, Reid gained statewide political visibility and experience in executive governance.

After completing his term as lieutenant governor, Reid sought higher office but met with initial setbacks. He ran for the United States Senate in 1974 but was defeated. He also ran for Mayor of Las Vegas but lost that race as well. These early defeats tested Reid's political resolve but did not deter his ambition for public service.

Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission

In 1977, Governor O'Callaghan appointed Reid as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, a position of enormous significance in a state whose economy was dominated by the casino and hospitality industry. Reid served as chairman from March 27, 1977, to January 5, 1981. During his tenure on the Gaming Commission, Reid was responsible for overseeing the regulation of Nevada's powerful gaming industry at a time when organized crime still exerted influence over some casino operations.

Reid's time as Gaming Commission chairman was marked by confrontation and physical danger. He reportedly faced threats and intimidation from individuals connected to organized crime who sought to influence gaming regulation. In one notable incident, Reid's wife found a bomb attached to the family car, underscoring the risks associated with the position. Reid's willingness to confront these pressures became part of his public reputation for toughness and determination.

United States House of Representatives

In 1982, Reid was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Nevada's 1st congressional district. He served two terms in the House, from January 3, 1983, to January 3, 1987. His predecessor in the district was James Santini, who had represented Nevada's at-large congressional district before redistricting created the 1st district. Reid was succeeded in the House by James Bilbray.

During his time in the House, Reid established himself as a reliable member of the Democratic caucus and built relationships with colleagues that would prove valuable in his later Senate career. His service in the House also provided him with a deep understanding of the legislative process and federal policy that he carried into the Senate.

United States Senate

Election and Early Senate Career

Reid was elected to the United States Senate in 1986, succeeding Republican Paul Laxalt, and took office on January 3, 1987. He would go on to win reelection four times, serving five full terms in the Senate until his retirement in January 2017. Over the course of his thirty-year Senate tenure, Reid became Nevada's longest-serving senator, surpassing the record previously held by John P. Jones by two days.

In his early years in the Senate, Reid focused on issues of particular importance to Nevada, including water rights, public lands management, nuclear waste policy, and gaming regulation. He was a persistent opponent of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, which would have stored high-level nuclear waste in Nevada. Reid's opposition to the Yucca Mountain project remained one of the defining causes of his Senate career and reflected his commitment to protecting Nevada's interests on the national stage.

Senate Democratic Whip

Reid's rise within the Senate Democratic leadership began in 1999 when he was elected Senate Minority Whip, serving under Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. He held the whip position through several changes in Senate control. From January 3, 1999, to January 3, 2001, Reid served as Minority Whip. Following the brief period of Democratic control of the Senate in mid-2001 (after Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party), Reid served as Majority Whip from June 6, 2001, to January 3, 2003, before returning to the Minority Whip position from January 3, 2003, to January 3, 2005.

As whip, Reid was responsible for counting votes, ensuring party discipline, and coordinating legislative strategy for the Democratic caucus. His effectiveness in this role positioned him as the natural successor to Daschle in the party leadership.

Senate Democratic Leader

After Tom Daschle lost his reelection bid in the 2004 United States Senate elections, Reid was elected by his colleagues as the leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus, effective January 3, 2005. He initially served as Senate Minority Leader from 2005 to 2007, with Dick Durbin serving as his whip.

Following the 2006 United States Senate elections, in which Democrats won control of the Senate, Reid became Senate Majority Leader on January 3, 2007, succeeding Republican Bill Frist. He held the position of Majority Leader for eight years, from 2007 to 2015, making him one of only three senators—along with Alben W. Barkley and Mike Mansfield—to have served at least eight years as majority leader.

Majority Leader Under President Bush

During the final two years of the George W. Bush presidency (2007–2009), Reid served as Majority Leader of a Senate that frequently clashed with the Republican administration. Reid navigated a politically contentious period that included debates over the Iraq War, the Bush administration's domestic surveillance programs, and the developing financial crisis of 2007–2008. As the financial crisis unfolded in the fall of 2008, Reid played a key role in the Senate's response to the economic emergency, including legislative efforts to stabilize the financial system.

Majority Leader Under President Obama

Reid's tenure as Majority Leader during the presidency of Barack Obama, from 2009 to 2015, represented the most consequential period of his legislative career. Working closely with the Obama White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Reid was instrumental in advancing the new administration's legislative agenda through the Senate.

Among the major pieces of legislation that Reid shepherded through the Senate were the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, an approximately $800 billion economic stimulus package designed to combat the Great Recession; the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as "Obamacare"), the most significant overhaul of the American healthcare system in decades; and the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which imposed new regulations on the financial industry in response to the 2008 financial crisis.

The passage of the Affordable Care Act in particular required intensive legislative management by Reid. The bill faced unanimous Republican opposition in the Senate, and Reid had to maintain the support of all 60 members of the Democratic caucus (including two independents) to overcome a Republican filibuster. The process involved months of negotiations, including with moderate and conservative Democrats who had reservations about various provisions of the bill.

The Nuclear Option

In November 2013, Reid led the Senate Democratic majority in invoking what was popularly known as the "nuclear option," a change to Senate rules that eliminated the 60-vote threshold required to end a filibuster on executive branch nominations and federal judicial nominations below the Supreme Court level. The move came after years of escalating partisan conflict over judicial confirmations, with Democrats arguing that Republicans were engaging in unprecedented obstruction of President Obama's nominees.

The rule change was controversial. Republicans condemned it as a power grab that undermined the Senate's tradition of minority rights, while Democrats argued it was a necessary response to Republican abuse of the filibuster. The precedent set by Reid's nuclear option was later extended by the Republican majority under Mitch McConnell in 2017 to include Supreme Court nominations, facilitating the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch. The long-term consequences of these changes to Senate procedure remained a subject of significant debate among political observers and legal scholars.

Return to Minority Leader and Retirement

Following the 2014 United States Senate elections, Republicans regained control of the Senate, and Reid returned to the position of Senate Minority Leader, serving from January 3, 2015, to January 3, 2017, with Mitch McConnell serving as Majority Leader.

In March 2015, Reid announced that he would not seek reelection in 2016, citing in part a serious eye injury he had sustained in a January 2015 exercise accident at his home. Reid endorsed Chuck Schumer to succeed him as the leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Reid retired from the Senate on January 3, 2017, and was succeeded in his Senate seat by Catherine Cortez Masto, who became the first Latina to serve in the United States Senate.

Conservation and Public Lands

Throughout his Senate career, Reid was a significant figure in public lands and conservation policy, particularly as it related to Nevada. He advocated for the protection of public lands in the state and opposed efforts to transfer federal lands to state control.

In his final years in the Senate, Reid made what was described as a "monumental push" for public lands legislation and conservation designations in Nevada, seeking to cement a legacy of environmental stewardship before his retirement. His efforts included advocating for national monument designations and wilderness protections for Nevada lands. A 2015 report by The Washington Post documented how Reid, with the support of the Obama administration, was working to leave "an indelible mark in the Nevada desert" through conservation initiatives.

Political Style

Reid was known for a direct, understated, and at times blunt political style. He did not cultivate the telegenic persona common among many modern politicians, instead preferring a quieter, behind-the-scenes approach to deal-making and legislative management. His soft-spoken demeanor in public settings contrasted with his reputation as a tough and effective negotiator in private. Commentators frequently noted that Reid's political effectiveness derived more from his mastery of Senate procedure and his skill in managing his caucus than from rhetorical gifts or public charisma.

Personal Life

Harry Reid married Landra Gould in 1959. Together they had five children, including Rory Reid, who pursued a career in law and politics in Nevada, including a run for Governor of Nevada in 2010.

Reid and his wife converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints early in their marriage. Reid's Mormon faith was a notable aspect of his personal identity, particularly given that he represented Nevada, a state not traditionally associated with the LDS Church, and that he was a prominent Democrat in a religious community that leaned Republican.

In January 2015, Reid suffered a serious injury while exercising at his home in Henderson, Nevada. He was using an exercise band that snapped, causing him to fall and sustain injuries to his face, including broken bones and significant damage to his right eye. The injury left him with permanent vision impairment in that eye and was a factor in his decision to retire from the Senate.

Reid was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018, after leaving the Senate. He underwent treatment for the disease but continued to make occasional public statements and remained engaged in Democratic politics. He died on December 28, 2021, at his home in Henderson, Nevada, at the age of 82.

Recognition

On December 14, 2021, just two weeks before Reid's death, the Las Vegas metropolitan area's principal airport was renamed Harry Reid International Airport in his honor. The airport had previously been named McCarran International Airport, after Pat McCarran, a former Nevada senator whose legacy had become controversial due to his association with McCarthyism and anti-Semitism. The renaming was approved by the Clark County Commission and represented one of the most prominent public honors bestowed upon Reid.

Reid received recognition from conservation organizations for his work on public lands policy during his Senate career. The Conservation Lands Foundation issued a statement acknowledging what it described as Reid's "historic contributions to conservation."

Reid's congressional career is documented in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, which records his service across multiple offices from the Nevada Assembly to the United States Senate. His campaign finance records are maintained by the Federal Election Commission.

Legacy

Harry Reid's thirty-year Senate career and his twelve years as leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus left a substantial imprint on American legislative politics. As Majority Leader, he was the principal Senate architect of several of the most significant pieces of domestic legislation enacted during the Obama presidency, including the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Act, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Reid's invocation of the nuclear option in 2013 to eliminate the filibuster for most presidential nominations had lasting consequences for the operations of the Senate. The precedent was subsequently extended by Republicans under Mitch McConnell to include Supreme Court nominations in 2017, fundamentally altering the confirmation process for federal judges and executive branch officials. The cumulative effect of these changes reshaped the balance of power between the Senate majority and minority and became a central issue in debates about Senate reform and institutional norms.

In Nevada politics, Reid's influence extended well beyond his own electoral career. He was credited with building the Democratic Party's organizational infrastructure in Nevada, transforming it from a reliably Republican-leaning state into a competitive battleground. His political machine helped elect a generation of Democratic candidates at the state and federal level, including Catherine Cortez Masto, who succeeded him in the Senate, and Jacky Rosen, who won Nevada's other Senate seat in 2018.

Reid's advocacy on conservation and public lands issues in Nevada also constituted a significant element of his legacy. His efforts to protect federal lands in the state and to block the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository were consistent themes throughout his Senate career and reflected his commitment to Nevada-specific policy concerns.

Along with Alben W. Barkley and Mike Mansfield, Reid was one of only three senators in American history to serve at least eight years as Senate Majority Leader, placing him among the most enduring legislative leaders in the institution's history. His successor as Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, acknowledged Reid's role in shaping the modern Senate Democratic caucus and its legislative strategy.

The naming of Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, the busiest airport in Nevada and one of the busiest in the United States, ensured that Reid's name would remain a prominent feature of the state's public life for years to come.