Harry Mason Reid (December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who served as U.S. Senator of Nevada from 1987 to 2017 and was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2015. He was previously the minority whip from 2003 to 2005 and 1999 to 2001, and the majority whip from 2001 to 2003.
Before Reid was senator, he was the U.S. Representative of Nevada from 1983 to 1987 and was the Chair of the Gaming Commission from 1977 to 1981 and was the Lieutenant Governor of Nevada from 1971 to 1975.
A moderate Democrat throughout his career in the senate, he was nonetheless a party loyalist, with one of his most consequential actions as Senate Majority leader being invoking the so-called "Nuclear Option" to allow executive branch and non-Supreme Court justice appointments to be immune to the filibuster. This action would be extended to Supreme Court appointments by Mitch McConnell under the Presidency of Donald Trump.
Similar to Mitt Romney, he was a prominent Mormon in American politics, with his position as Senate Majority Leader being the highest office held by any member of that church to date. Though, as a prominent Democratic Party member in a church notorious for its Republican/conservative lean, he was very controversial among its church members.
He married Landra Gould and they had five children.
Las Vegas' main airport, previously known as McCarran international airport, was renamed Harry Reid International Airport, with the Clark County Commission voting to make the change on February 14, 2021, the Federal Administration Administration updating aeronautical charts accordingly that June, and the name becoming official on December 14, two weeks before his death.
Media
Film — Live-Action- Traffic (2000): He appeared As Himself.
Live-Action Television
- Saturday Night Live: He has been parodied by Paul Brittain and Will Forte.
