Harry Reid, Ex-Senate Majority Leader, Has Surgery For Cancer

LAS VEGAS, NV — Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has undergone a successful surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas. A statement from Reid's family says the longtime former Nevada lawmaker has a good recovery prognosis and will undergo chemotherapy as the next part of his treatment.

The family says doctors caught the problem early during a routine screening. He underwent surgery Monday.

"He is now out of surgery, in good spirits, and resting with his family," the statement said. "He is grateful to his highly skilled team of doctors and to all who have sent and continue to send their love and support."

Reid, 78, was first elected to the Senate in 1986. An accident three years ago left him blind in one eye and he decided not to seek re-election in 2016. Reid's career spanned more than three decades in Congress.

Reid has received an outpouring of support from his former co-workers, including Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

"From one cantankerous senator to another, sending my prayers & best wishes to @SenatorReid as he recovers from a successful surgery," tweeted McCain, who is in the midst of a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York — and Reid's successor as minority leader — tweeted out his thoughts and prayers as well.

"Spoken to family and it seems @SenatorReid's operation went well. We are all praying for dear Harry's speedy recovery," Schumer tweeted.

Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said in a statement that Reid is a known fighter.

"Senator Reid is no stranger to a fight. He beat his opponents in the boxing ring, took on the mob in Nevada, and moved bills in the Senate that no one believed could be done," Cortez Masto said. "He'll beat cancer too. I wish him a speedy and successful recovery."

Reid was Nevada's longest-serving senator who helped lead the push to pass President Barack Obama's signature health care law. In Nevada, Reid blocked the construction of a nuclear waste dump and built a well-oiled Democratic machine.

A statement from the family of @SenatorReid pic.twitter.com/7RT7vTW9BM
— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) May 14, 2018

Photo credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images