Reid, Harry, 1939-2021

REID, Harry, a Senator and a Representative from Nevada; born in Searchlight, Nev., December 2, 1939; graduated, Southern Utah State College 1959, Utah State University 1961, and George Washington School of Law 1964; member,United States Capitol Police Force 1961-1964; admitted to the Nevada bar in 1963; city attorney, Henderson, Nev., 1964-1966; member, Nevada State assembly 1969-1970; lieutenant governor 1970-1974; chairman, Nevada Gaming Commission 1977-1981; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-eighth Congress in 1982; reelected to the Ninety-ninth Congress and served from January 3, 1983, to January 3, 1987; was not a candidate for reelection in 1986 to the House of Representatives, but was elected to the United States Senate in 1986; reelected in 1992, 1998, 2004 and again in 2010, and served from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 2017; chair, Committee on Environment and Public Works (One Hundred Seventh Congress [January 3-20, 2001]), Select Committee on Ethics (One Hundred Seventh Congress [January 3-January 20, 2001; June 6, 2001-January 3, 2003]); co-chair, Senate Democratic Conference, Democratic Policy Committee (1995-1999); Democratic party whip (1999-2005); minority leader and Democratic caucus chairman (2005-2007; 2015-2017); majority leader and Democratic caucus chairman (2007-2015); was not a candidate for reelection to the Senate in 2016; was a resident of Henderson, Nev., until his death on December 28, 2021.

<p>Harry Mason Reid Jr. (/riːd/; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2015.</p>

<p>Reid began his public career as the city attorney for Henderson, Nevada before winning election to the Nevada Assembly in 1968. Reid's former boxing coach, Mike O'Callaghan, chose Reid as his running mate in the 1970 Nevada gubernatorial election, and Reid served as Lieutenant Governor of Nevada from 1971 to 1975. After being defeated in races for the United States Senate and the position of mayor of Las Vegas, Reid served as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1977 to 1981. From 1983 to 1987, Reid represented Nevada's 1st district in the United States House of Representatives.</p>

<p>Reid won election to the United States Senate in 1986 and served in the Senate from 1987 to 2017. He served as the Senate Democratic Whip from 1999 to 2005 before succeeding Tom Daschle as Senate Minority Leader. The Democrats won control of the Senate after the 2006 United States Senate elections, and Reid became the Senate Majority Leader in 2007. He held that position for the last two years of George W. Bush's presidency and the first six years of Barack Obama's presidency. As Majority Leader, Reid helped pass major legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Act, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 United States Senate elections, and Reid served as Senate Minority Leader from 2015 to his retirement in 2017.</p>

<p>Reid was succeeded as the Senate Democratic leader by Chuck Schumer, whose leadership bid had been endorsed by Reid. Along with Alben W. Barkley and Mike Mansfield, Reid is one of only three senators to serve at least eight years as majority leader.</p>