Harry Reid is being careful not to bash Bernie Sanders

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may want Hillary Clinton to be the next president, but he hasn't endorsed her over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, even as Sanders has proven himself a more formidable contender than originally expected.

On Feb. 20, Democrats in his home state will be the third to weigh in on the nomination process, and the senator doesn't want to interfere with the caucus' turnout.

"I'm more concentrated on what effect my endorsement has in Nevada, OK? Eight years ago, we registered 30- to 40,000 new Democrats. Tens of thousands, it was unheard of," Reid told Politico. "For me to endorse somebody would just take away the focus on the caucus."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

So Reid is tiptoeing around Sanders, making a more concerted effort than many of his colleagues to not criticize the Vermont senator.

"He is very protective of his early first-in-the-West status. He worked hard to get it," said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).