Harry Reid endorsed Chuck Schumer to succeed him as Senate minority leader after he retires in 2016.
“I think Schumer should be able to succeed me,” the Nevada Democrat said about the New York Democrat in an interview Friday with the Washington Post.
Reid, 75, whose Senate career has spanned three decades, has led Senate Democrats since 1995. He announced Friday he would not seek re-election in 2016.
Reid predicted Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in Senate leadership, would win the post without opposition. He also suggested any competition — specifically Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, with whom he spoke on the phone with Friday morning — should stand down.
Reid called Schumer “extremely smart” in the interview, adding that he would bring a “different style” to Senate leadership compared with Reid’s soft-spoken nature.
“My life’s work has been to make Nevada and our nation better. Thank you for giving me that wonderful opportunity,” Reid said in a video released Friday announcing his retirement.
