Staff and wire reports

Tue, Nov 18, 2008 (9:34 a.m.)

Sen. Harry Reid

WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. John Ensign has been elevated in the ranks of Senate GOP leadership, while Democratic Senator Harry Reid of Nevada has been re-elected without challenge to his job of majority leader.

Republican senators met at the U.S. Capitol this morning and selected Ensign to chair the Republican Policy Committee. It's the number four position in GOP leadership and will give Ensign a larger role in setting policy and legislative strategy.

Ensign had chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign committee for the Senate GOP.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats huddled to make their leadership choices and kept Reid in his majority leader job.

"This year has been particularly challenging for all Americans, and with a narrow majority, passing timely legislation has at times been difficult," Reid said in a statement this morning. "But I look forward to again leading my colleagues into the next session with a promise of unity and bipartisanship to deliver the results that we as a country need."