Harry Reid elected to lead Senate Democrats in minority in 2015

By Amber Phillips

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014 | 11:13 a.m.

When Republicans take the helm of the Senate in January, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada will lead Democrats' strategy in the minority party.

Reid was elected by his colleagues Thursday to stay on as leader of Senate Democrats for the next two years. He was approved by secret ballot in a nearly four-hour meeting where senators had a constructive discussion about what went wrong for the party on Nov. 4.

Reid, who has served as Senate majority leader since Democrats controlled the Senate beginning in 2007, said the party will try to better explain its agenda ahead of the 2016 election.

"We have to create an atmosphere where the middle class feels we're fighting for them," Reid said, adding Democrats who largely stayed home from the polls needed a reason to vote.

Reid has served as Senate minority leader before, from 2005-2007. In a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, he reiterated his ability to work with the majority party.

"I have been able to strike compromise with my Republican colleagues, and I'm ready to do it again," he said.

Reid said Thursday he's asked his fellow Senate Democrats to come up with a list of bipartisan bills they can try to work on with Republicans. But on Wednesday, he championed strictly Democratic causes such as equal pay for women and raising the minimum wage.

Not every Democratic senator voted for Reid to continue leading their party. Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, was among those who thought Reid should step down as leader.

"I voted for a change," Machin told reporters, "And that change was not voting for this leadership."

Reid has come under fire from Republicans and some his fellow Democrats for blocking amendments to bills, which had the effect of protecting vulnerable Democrats from taking tough votes. All but one of those lost or is expected to lose their race anyways in the Republican sweep Nov. 4.

In an effort to incorporate more ideas from his fellow Democrats, Reid encompassed populist liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, into his leadership team. She'll have a new job helping strategize Democrats' message.