Reid, Harry (1939-2021), was a member of the United States Senate from 1987 to 2017. Reid, a Democrat, represented Nevada. He became the leader of the Senate Democrats in 2005, and he served as Senate majority leader from 2007 to 2015.
As a senator, Reid supported legislation to increase funding for research on diseases affecting women. He worked for passage of the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act. He opposed proposals for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. Reid supported proposals to develop renewable energy sources. He was also a strong supporter of health insurance reform legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010.
Harry Mason Reid was born on Dec. 2, 1939, in Searchlight, Nevada. He received a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in 1961 and a law degree from George Washington University in 1964.
From 1964 to 1966, Reid was city attorney for Henderson, Nevada. In 1969 and 1970, he was a member of the Nevada State Assembly. He served as lieutenant governor of Nevada from 1970 to 1974. In 1974, Reid ran for the U.S. Senate but lost. He headed the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1977 to 1981. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and reelected in 1984. In 1986, Reid ran again for the U.S. Senate and won. He was the Senate Democratic whip (assistant leader) from 1999 to 2005. Reid retired from the Senate after his term ended in January 2017. He died on Dec. 28, 2021.
