Report: Harry Reid would like another 8 years as Senate leader

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Senate Majority Harry Reid, D-Nev., indicated he'd like to keep his current job for another eight years, Roll Call reported.

"I don't want to do it more than eight more years," he said during an interview with the Washington political publication published Wednesday.

Reid repeatedly has said he will run for re-election in 2016, and restated his intent Wednesday, indicating he's looking at serving another full term running the Senate -- provided Democrats remain in control of the upper chamber of Congress.

If that happens, Reid would be majority leader for 16 years, matching the record set by legendary Montana Democrat Mike Mansfield, Roll Call said.

As long as he leads the Senate, Reid said, further changes to Senate rules and precedents were still possible to limit debate and filibusters -- just as he did last month when Democrats approved the so-called "nuclear option" to end filibusters on most presidential nominations.

"I hope we don't, and I hope it's not necessary," Reid said. "I'm not precluding anything. It's just according to how we get along here."

As for the more immediate prospect of Democrats holding on to the Senate in the 2014 midterm elections, Reid expressed optimism about the party's chances.

"We're always very honed-in on the races," Reid told Roll Call. "We feel pretty good about how things are going."