Harry Reid
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Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid (born December 2, 1939) is the senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party, for which he serves as Senate Minority Leader.
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Early life and work
Reid received his A.S. from Southern Utah State College in 1959 and in 1961 earned his B.S. from Utah State University. He moved to Washington, D.C. and worked as an officer for the US Capitol Police while attending George Washington University for his J.D., Reid graduated in 1964 and returned to Nevada to work as a lawyer in the state before entering politics, serving from 1968 to 1970 in the Nevada State Assembly and then being elected lieutenant governor in 1970. He served in that office until 1974. A Latter-day Saint and native of the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, his father was an alcoholic gold miner who committed suicide.
Reid then served as Nevada state gaming commissioner from 1977 to 1981, a post which subjected him to threats of danger. Reid's wife once found a bomb attached to one of their cars. A character in the film Casino played by Dick Smothers is based, in part, on Reid. An attempt was made by Jack Gordon (who would later manage and marry LaToya Jackson) to bribe Reid. Reid allowed the FBI to tape Gordon's attempt to bribe Reid with $12,000, at which point Reid attempted to strangle Gordon, saying "You son of a bitch, you tried to bribe me."
National political career
Nevada had been represented by only one member of the United States House of Representatives since statehood, but tremendous growth in the 1970s resulted in the state being split into two districts. Reid won the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District, based in Las Vegas, in 1982. He was easily elected in November and served two terms there, from 1983 to 1987, being reelected in 1984. He was elected to the Senate in 1986, succeeding the retiring two-term Republican incumbent and former governor, Paul Laxalt. Reid was reelected in 1992, 1998 and 2004. He narrowly defeated his Republican opponent in 1998, future Senator John Ensign (Ensign won Nevada's other Senate seat in 2000). and his Republican opponent in 2004 was Richard Ziser, whom Reid defeated by a vote of 61%-35%. Mike Ensign, Senator Ensign's father, contributed $2,000 to Reid's 2004 Senate campaign. In 1999, Reid became Minority Whip, and the right hand man of Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
On November 16, 2004, Reid was elected Senate Democratic Leader and Minority Leader for the 109th Congress, following Daschle's defeat in his bid for reelection.
Opinions, beliefs and personal traits
Some consider Harry Reid pro-life, or an opponent of legalized abortion, because of his vote against support of Roe v. Wade in 2004. However, Reid has subsequently refused to state he wants Roe v. Wade overturned. Reid is currently also the only Democratic Mormon Senator. Four other members in the Senate are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but they are all Republicans.
Reid is known for speaking his mind. He made headlines in May of 2005 when he said of George W. Bush, "The man's father is a wonderful human being. I think this guy is a loser." Reid later apologised for these comments. Reid also called Clarence Thomas, an "embarassment" and refered to Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan as a "partisan hack."
Reid is married to Landra Gould. They have five children.
External links
- Official website (http://reid.senate.gov/)
- Biography from "The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada" (http://www.1st100.com/part3/reid.html/)
- "Harry Reid Is Not Boring" (http://slate.msn.com/id/2111392/) - by Chris Suellentrop, Slate.com, Dec. 22, 2004
- 'Nevada Senator Reid Apologizes For Calling President A “Loser"' (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/2231321426) - May 9, 2005.
| Preceded by: James Santini | U.S. Representative for Nevada's 1st Congressional District 1983-1987 | Succeeded by: James Bilbray |
| Preceded by: Paul Laxalt | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Nevada 1987– | Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Preceded by: Tom Daschle | Senate Minority Leader 2005– | Succeeded by: Incumbent Template:End box Template:NV-FedRep Template:Current U.S Senatorsfr:Harry Reid |