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Joseph Kennedy III to publicly announce he is running for Congress

Robert F Kennedy’s grandson to contest Barney Frank seat

By
PATRICK COUNIHAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7:24 AM
Updated Thursday, February 16, 2012, 11:51 AM

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Joseph P. Kennedy III, the son of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and a grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy.
Joseph P. Kennedy III, the son of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and a grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy.
Photo by AP Photo/Elise Amendola


Joseph Kennedy III is to follow in the family tradition and contest the race for a Massachusetts congressional seat in the 4th District.

If he wins, he would put the Kennedy family back in national politics. Since Congressman Patrick Kennedy retired last November, it is the first time since 1946 that a Kennedy has not been either elected to the US senate or the house.

Back then, John Fitzgerald Kennedy replaced the legendary James Michael Curley that year when Curley ran for Mayor of Boston. Now JFK’s grandnephew is set to take up the torch.

The 31-year-old lawyer is to enter the election to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Barney Frank.

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Kennedy is expected to formally announce his candidature on Thursday, according to a member of his campaign team who has spoken to the Associated Press.

A recent UMass Lowell/Boston Herald poll handed him a huge early lead in the race trouncing Republican hopeful Sean Bielat by a 68-28 percent margin.

Bielat ran a heated contest against Frank in the 2010 midterm elections.

Kennedy recently quit his job as a Middlesex assistant district attorney and moved from Cambridge to Brookline, part of the state’s newly redrawn 4th Congressional District.

Son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II and a grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy, he is following in a proud family tradition.

The Kennedys have deep ties to the Boston suburb as well as to Cape Cod.

Prior to working for the Middlesex district attorney, Kennedy was a prosecutor in the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office.

Last month, Kennedy announced he was forming an exploratory committee to look at running for the seat. He also became engaged to Lauren Anne Birchfield, a fellow Harvard Law School graduate.

Already Kennedy’s likely campaign has received a boost thanks to his political heritage. Kennedy will be in the public eye on Friday when his family will meet and greet with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on his visit to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum as part of his three day visit to the US.

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16 Comments

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Buffalobrave | Feb 17, 2012, 09:05 AM EST
Our whole system of government in America is corrupt and rotten. What the hell is wrong with people on here. So another Kennedy is running and the hypocrites on here are screaming.

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IrelandNorth | Feb 17, 2012, 05:57 AM EST
Thought all you Americans were optimists and into positive thinking? Reading these comments, you would think it's RepublicanCentral. As a Lenister (i.e. eastern)-Irish left-of-centre south-Dubliner, I'm all for another Kennedy/O Cinneide at the helm of post-Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld America.

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Murph46 | Feb 17, 2012, 12:19 AM EST
Your eloquence is sensational warlocks-couldn't agree more!

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warlocks | Feb 16, 2012, 11:37 PM EST
OH GOD ! Not another Free loading Kennedy Running for office. We need him like a hole in the head. Ask not what a Kennedy can do for you !!! But what you can do for a Kennedy. ---BARF , Barf , Barf They make me Sick !

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Murph46 | Feb 16, 2012, 03:49 PM EST
Yeah Hyanisport is alive with all the free energy -Oh Teddy vetoed it!

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alisaann | Feb 16, 2012, 03:48 PM EST
THIS IS GREAT NEWS....THE KENNEDY'S HAVE ALWAYS FAUGHT FOR THE LITTLE PERSON...WE'VE NEEDED MORE KENNEDY'S IN OFFICE FOR AWHILE...I HOPE HE WINS. ALISA NEELY

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MORIORDAN | Feb 16, 2012, 03:34 PM EST
I THINK ITS GREAT - THE KENNEDYS HAVE TRANSFORMED AMERICA - EXPOSED HUNGER AND DISCRIMINATION AND NEGLECT FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED. FORGET ALL THE CRAP THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY PEOPLE WHO - BELIEVE IT OR NOT - HATED IRISH CATHOLICS AND STILL DO. THE KENNEDYS ARE THE BEST LEGISLATORS FOR THE DISENFRANCHISED - THE POOR AND FOR ALL THE WORKING CLASS AMERICANS. WELCOME ABOARD JOSEPH - YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT AND MY PRAYERS. MORIORDAN

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Murph46 | Feb 16, 2012, 01:59 PM EST
Geez they are special young Kennedy never run for nothin but Nicomax has him running for important office-you ascending him to president already ? Even that is a little too soon for his eminence!

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Nicomax | Feb 16, 2012, 01:55 PM EST
After the GOP Clown Show finally leaves town once they choose their chief Jester, then we can settle down to real candidates conducting serious campaigns for important offices. This latest member of the Kennedy family will be part of that.

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Murph46 | Feb 16, 2012, 11:43 AM EST
Remember when Teddy was all for "green environment" but NO Windmills near HyanisPort!What a phoney!

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colkelley | Feb 16, 2012, 11:26 AM EST
Just another Kennedy thug.

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OleSarge | Feb 16, 2012, 10:52 AM EST
Just what America doesn't need. A socialist elitist telling us what is best for us. No more Kennedy's for a few decades. We need the rest.

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Murph46 | Feb 16, 2012, 10:34 AM EST
We can all cross our fingers mikehoulihan!

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mikehoulihan | Feb 16, 2012, 10:02 AM EST
the only reason I looked at this bj from Irish Central is I thought the headline said Joseph Kennedy was ill! I was hoping!

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DLW12183 | Feb 16, 2012, 09:32 AM EST
A Kennedy for a Frank. What a deal. America rejoice.

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