NRSC chairman: Reid ‘may decide to retire’

A day after being selected to lead Republicans’ 2016 Senate campaign, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said Friday that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev,) “may decide to retire” instead of facing the tough campaign the GOP plans to bring against him.

The new National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman pointed out that Nevada’s Republican governor, Brian Sandoval, who was just reelected overwhelmingly, could run against Reid in 2016.

{mosads}”To me, that state is going Republican,” Wicker said on MSNBC. “I think Gov. Sandoval has a real good opportunity now after a great run as governor, perhaps to run for senator. So, you know, frankly I’ll say this: I think Harry Reid may decide to retire. That’s my prediction.”

Reid won a tough race in 2010 against Republican Sharron Angle, whom Democrats were able to paint as extreme. 

Wicker was asked if Republicans would go after Reid with the same force that Democrats went after Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), this year.

“Well, absolutely,” Wicker said. “But you know, more importantly, I think that the citizens of Nevada will go after Harry Reid. I think he’s out of step with the state.”

Republicans face a harder task in 2016 than this year, defending seats in bluer states. But Wicker expressed confidence in wins for Sens. Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, Mark Kirk in Illinois and Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire.

“You take them one by one, I think we can defend them,” he said. 

He said Republicans would not be hobbled by crises, pointing to McConnell’s assurances. 

“You know, they asked Mitch two ways about that, and the answer was the same: We’re not going to have any government shutdowns; we’re not going to have any threats of impeachment,” Wicker said.