Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said Wednesday that he would like another full term as Senate Majority Leader if Democrats maintain control of the upper chamber, but nothing more.
“I don’t want to do it more than eight more years,” Reid, who is up for re-election in 2016, told Roll Call.
If Reid were to serve that long, through Jan. 2023, he would match former Majority Leader Mike Mansfield’s (D-MT) record of 16 years in the position. Reid told Roll Call that the record is not a factor in his goal for serving through the end of another term.
Reid is optimistic that Democrats will keep their majority in the Senate in the 2014 election.
“We’re always very honed-in on the races. We feel pretty good about how things are going,” he said.
He said that as leader, he would be open to more changes to the Senate rules, but is hoping that it won’t come to that.
“I hope we don’t, and I hope it’s not necessary,” he told Roll Call. “I’m not precluding anything. It’s just according to how we get along here.”
In November, Reid executed the “nuclear option,” and removed Senators’ ability to filibuster executive branch and judicial nominees, besides Supreme Court justices.
