Stories also mentioned his membership in the LDS Church and questioned how a Democrat who is against abortion and gay marriage would be viewed as a party leader.

"Democrats did not lose because of abortion and gay marriage," Reid said of the last election. "People pretty well accept who I am. It certainly doesn't hurt me."

Reid is the only Democrat among the five Mormons in the Senate, who include Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Sen. Michael D. Crapo, R-Idaho; and Sen. Gordon H. Smith, R-Ore.

Larry J. Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said Reid has "already made his peace with the Democratic caucus on those issues."

Sabato said if Reid moves into the majority leader post, his religion most likely will not become an issue, but as with any lawmaker he has "always found you have to see him in the position before you make a judgment."

Brian Darling, director of U.S. Senate relations at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., said Reid has "proven to be a fierce advocate for the Democratic party."

Under the microscope

Since becoming minority leader, controversies surrounding Reid have involved money, whether profits from real estate sales or campaign or other political contributions. Last month, the Associated Press reported that Reid made $1.1 million on a land sale and allegedly did not disclose it properly, which may have violated Senate Ethics Rules.

But Reid said the article was wrong, that he listed the land on his Senate disclosure form every year. He did file an amended form clarifying that he owned the land through a limited liability corporation, but it did not alter this ownership of the land.

There were also questions of donations made to an employee holiday fund at the Ritz Carlton, where Reid and his wife own a condo. Reid made the initial donation from his campaign fund, but a press release sent in October said he used a personal check to put the $3,300 back into the campaign account.

Reid said his lawyers told him such donations were permissible, but he decided to reimburse the campaign "to prevent this issue from being used in the current campaign season to deflect attention from Republican failures."