Harry Reid won't seek re-election next year

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

last updated 27 March 2015

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has announced that he won't seek re-election next year.

Reid told The New York Times that his decision to retire was not due to his demotion to Senate minority leader after November's midterm elections. The announcement comes after Reid suffered an eye injury in January in an exercise accident.

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In a farewell video, Reid says that being the Senate's minority leader is "just as important" as being majority leader. "It gives you so much opportunity to do good things for this country," Reid says. He even gets in a dig at Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, advising him not to be "too elated" over the news, because he'll still be around to push Democratic ideas for months to come. —Meghan DeMaria