Reid steps into New York politics

It is well-known that U.S. Sen. Harry Reid holds a guiding hand in Democratic politics in Nevada.

On Thursday, the Senate majority leader stepped into New York politics, looking to protect embattled incumbent Sen. Kristen Gillibrand.

Multiple outlets including the New York Times and New York Post report Reid got New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the phone and urged him to discourage former congressman Harold Ford from running against Gillibrand.

Gillibrand was appointed to the Senate last year when Hillary Rodman Clinton resigned to become Secretary of State, and must go before  voters this year.

Reid and Sen. Chuck Schumer, New York's other senator and a Gillibrand mentor, have been trying to keep the field clear for Gillibrand's return and prevent possible disruptions to the Democrats' 60-seat Senate majority.

Ford, 39, is a former congressman who represented Memphis, Tenn., in the House. He moved to New York three years ago, and news he is thinking about a race is shaking up the state's power structure.