Reid says he's sticking with reelection bid

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday he's sticking with his bid for reelection this fall.

Reid, the top Senate Democrat who's faced increasingly dismal poll numbers in recent months, denied that he would drop out of the race in order to make way for a different Democratic candidate.

"I'm running," Reid told top Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston in an interview to air on the show "Face to Face" this afternoon. Ralston reported Reid's remarks in a tweet Monday afternoon.

Several leading but potentially vulnerable Democrats have announced their retirements this cycle rather than stand for tough reelection battles against Republican challengers. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) have both retired in the face of challenging battles this fall, for instance.

The latest major poll out of Nevada, conducted in early January, showed Reid trailing potential Republican opponents by a margin of anywhere from five to ten percentage points.

Potential GOP challengers include former state party chairwoman Sue Lowden and businessman and former UNLV hoops star Danny Tarkanian. Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R), who bowed out after facing an indictment for which he was later exonerated, is also mulling an entry into the race.

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