Reid says no interest in for-sale Searchlight

WASHINGTON - The most famous son of Searchlight is saying no thanks to the chance to buy a piece of his desert hometown.

Sen. Harry Reid said Tuesday he has no interest in making a bid for the Nevada community's business district that is being put up for sale by longtime owner Verlie Doing, including the centerpiece Searchlight Nugget Casino. Doing, 88, is retiring .

Reid was born in Searchlight in 1939, was raised in the once-bustling mining town and has a home there now. He's written a book about Searchlight, called "The Camp that Didn't Fail," and there is a Harry Reid Elementary School.

Reid's hardscrabble roots are often cited in the story of his rise to Senate majority leader. But when asked Tuesday whether he had an interest in a further investment, Reid drew a line, even as he called Doing's asking price "a bargain."

"The whole town is only $5 million, and I'll bet you could do less than that," Reid said. But, he added, "that's for somebody else, not me."

There have been about a half dozen inquiries about the property, according to broker Fred Marik of Las Vegas Commercial and Business Sales.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.