Harry Reid is Out; Bennet is Up

Democrats want to win back the U.S. Senate in 2016, but they need to hold two seats while winning five. It just got harder to hold Nevada. Harry Reid, after 30 years, has quit.

Reid was going to be in a very tough re-election, and now it’s an open seat.

Reid’s retirement reflects that difficult re-election, his recent health problems and the loss of the majority, substantially due to years of his partisan obstruction. Nearly every Republican running in 2014 ran against Harry Reid’s senate leadership

Michael Bennet will now be the Democratic senator most endangered. Will the Nevada change motivate a strong Colorado Republican to get into the race? The D.C. super PAC believes Bennet can be beaten, but it will take a very good candidate. With the exception of Mark Udall’s 11-point win in 2008, Colorado senate races have been won by 5 points or less.