Harry Reid fundraising for Kate Marshall in Nevada

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sent out a fundraising letter for Nevada State Treasurer Kate Marshall on Monday that attacks national Republicans' priorities. Marshall is running for an open House seat in a Republican-leaning northern Nevada seat.

"After years of irresponsible decisions and uncountable handouts to corporate special interests, it's appalling that national Republicans are attacking Kate's financial bona fides," writes Reid. "We know what it takes to go up against the Republican machine. Your commitment helped us give the GOP a resounding defeat last Election Day — but now Kate needs our help to give them another one."

The letter then asks for donations to Marshall. She is the underdog against former Republican Party Chairman Mark Amodei because of the district's tilt, but has scored some points by attacking Amodei for supporting a tax increase while he was a state senator and for backing Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) plan to privatize Medicare.

Reid is a fundraising powerhouse with a strong organization in the state, but he is less popular in the conservative district than he is statewide.

The National Republican Congressional Committee was more than happy to tie Reid to Marshall in its response to the letter. "Harry Reid will stop at nothing to get his handpicked candidate Kate Marshall to carry out his reckless big-spending agenda in Congress," said NRCC Spokesman Tyler Houlton. "Nevada voters will dismiss Kate Marshall as just another foot soldier in Harry Reid’s political machine."

The NRCC is nervous enough about the race that they are spending money running television ads on Amodei's behalf.