Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid retires

Senator Patty Murray of Washington, a member of Reid's leadership team, said in a statement: "In the 16 years Harry has served as a member of Senate Democratic leadership, he has steadily guided our caucus, the Senate, and Congress through the good times and the tough ones."

Reid is the third Democrat to announce plans to leave the Senate after 2016, even as the party tries to claw back control of the chamber. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who served longer in Congress than any woman in history, announced this month she wouldn't see a sixth term. Senator Barbara Boxer of California also opted not to run again.

Among Republicans, Senator Dan Coats of Indiana said this week he would step down after next year.

Clear Path

Reid in the video said his path to re-election in 2016 was as clear as in any year. Yet after having pumped millions of dollars into a victory with just a little more than 50 percent of the vote against a Tea Party challenger in 2010, Reid would have had an arduous race to win a sixth Senate term.

Republicans said he just didn't want to engage in a fight he would lose.

"On the verge of losing his own election and after losing the majority, Senator Harry Reid has decided to hang up his rusty spurs," National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Ward Baker said in a statement. "With the exception of Reid, every elected statewide official in Nevada is Republican and this race is the top pickup opportunity for the GOP."

In addition to broken facial bones near his right eye socket that had impaired his vision, Reid also suffered a concussion and broken ribs in the Jan. 1 accident while exercising. He underwent 3 1/2 hours of surgery in Washington in late January to remove a blood clot caused by the accident and repair his eye socket.

His injuries were so severe that his doctors advised him against attending the first day of the new Congress in January.