Jon Ralston explains the Democratic state of play:
Reid already has anointed ex-Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, who wants to run for the U.S. Senate and almost certainly will.
But there are doubts with Masto, Reid’s top pick:
Masto is not a dynamic campaigner. She is a careful, close-to-the-vest person who has never been tested in a white-hot crucible like a nationally watched U.S. Senate race.
Not even a day in bloody primary if, Roll Call is reporting that Congresswoman Dina Titus, who has opposed Reid often, may enter the race:
Ms. Titus has a history of bucking Mr. Reid’s requests to pursue her own political aspirations, saying “I’ve had primaries before without [support from] Sen. Reid.”
It doesn’t look good for the "Reid-machine," as the Las-Vegas Review Jounral reports:
…last year the Reid machine stalled as the Democratic leader devoted most of his attention to maintaining control of the U.S. Senate, which he failed to do in the end.
In Nevada, the election was a Democratic disaster. Republicans took control of state government, from all of the constitutional offices to both houses of the Nevada Legislature, and they gained a congressional seat.
The dismal 2014 showing and Reid’s Friday announcement raise questions about whether the “Reid machine” will survive the man who built it — and whether Democrats will be able to hold Reid’s seat in a presidential election year when both political parties will go all-out to register new voters, outspend one another and win the White House.
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Ultimately, it seems like Democrats will falter without Reid on the ticket, making Nevada one of the top pickup opportunities for Republicans in 2016.
4-2-15 Update: UVA’s Center for American Politics is reporting that Nevada is now a toss-up:
The retirement of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) last week gives Republicans something they have been lacking in the early stages of this Senate cycle: a 50-50 shot at picking up a seat currently held by a Democrat. True, Reid’s poor approval numbers meant he was going to be a target of Republicans anyway. But he’s also a proven commodity who would have had the power of incumbency. In our view, the open-seat race is now a Toss-up, as opposed to the prior rating of Leans Democratic.
4-9-15 Update: Dina Titus leading Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto by 24 points. The Silver Bullet reports:
Democrats may quickly find themselves in a two candidate race, led by Representative Dina Titus at 44%, followed by former Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto at 20%, and no other democratic candidate polled above 5%.