Republicans ousted Sen. Harry Reid as majority leader in 2014. This cycle, the GOP wants to finish the job and defeat the Democrat at home in Nevada.  

In a year where the Senate map looks better for Democrats , Reid is one of just two Democrats on track for a competitive re-election challenge. That will make him a top target for Republicans looking to hold, and perhaps expand, their majority. The GOP wants to recruit popular Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Hispanic who many Republicans believe could best Reid.  

Here’s the problem: most Republicans said they don’t think Sandoval will run.  

Republican Reps. Joe Heck and Mark Amodei have said they’re not interested in a Senate bid — positions they reiterated to CQ Roll Call in conversations outside the House chamber earlier this month. That puts outgoing Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and newly elected Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison on top of the GOP’s short list of candidates.  

But Reid will not go down without a fight, and he’s started looking at staff  for his re-election. After more than 40 years in politics, he has built a formidable political apparatus in the Silver State. That infrastructure helped give Reid a 6-point win in his brutal 2010 campaign, defeating a weak Republican nominee, Sharron Angle.  

He probably won’t be so lucky with his 2016 foe. Reid’s next race will play out during a presidential year, and Nevada is a swing state. Republicans will invest resources in the state to win it on the national level — and to defeat him.  

Editor’s Note: Over two weeks, Roll Call will unveil its Top 10 Races to Watch for 2016. The final edition will run on Jan. 2 with the full list. In no specific order, additional races to watch in 2016 include 
Illinois Senate, North Carolina Senate, 
Pennsylvania Senate, Florida’s 2nd District and 

New York’s 11th District

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