Joe Kennedy III facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Kennedy III
Official portrait, 2023
United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland
In office December 19, 2022 – December 13, 2024
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Mick Mulvaney
Succeeded by	TBD
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 4th district
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Barney Frank
Succeeded by	Jake Auchincloss
Personal details
Born	Joseph Patrick Kennedy III (1980-10-04) October 4, 1980 (age 44) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lauren Birchfield ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	2
Parent	Joseph P. Kennedy II (father)
Relatives	Kennedy family
Education	Stanford University (BS) Harvard University (JD)
Signature

Joseph Patrick Kennedy III (born October 4, 1980) is an American politician and diplomat. He recently served as the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland from 2022 to 2024. Before this, Kennedy was a U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district from 2013 to 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district covered areas from Boston's western suburbs to the state's South Coast. Before becoming a representative, he worked as a lawyer for the district attorney's offices in Cape Cod and Middlesex County, Massachusetts. In 2021, he also became a commentator for CNN.

Joseph P. Kennedy III is part of the famous Kennedy family. He is the son of U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II. His grandfather was U.S. Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. He is also the grandnephew of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. His great-grandfather was U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain Joseph P. Kennedy Sr..

Born in Boston, Kennedy grew up with his twin brother, Matthew. After earning his bachelor's degree from Stanford University, he spent two years in the Dominican Republic. There, he worked as a member of the Peace Corps. Later, he earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2009. In 2012, he left his job as a lawyer to run for Congress. He was sworn into office in January 2013. He served on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2020, he ran for the U.S. Senate but did not win. Jake Auchincloss, a fellow Democrat, took his place in Congress.

Since leaving Congress, Kennedy started the Groundwork Project. This group helps local community efforts across the United States. He also joined several advisory boards. He continues to appear as a political commentator for CNN. In June 2021, President Joe Biden appointed him to a special commission. In December 2022, President Biden named him the U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs.

Growing Up and Early Career

Joseph P. Kennedy III was born on October 4, 1980, in Boston. His parents are Sheila Brewster Rauch and Joseph P. Kennedy II. He was born eight minutes after his twin brother, Matthew. They are the oldest grandsons of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy. The twins grew up in Brighton and Marshfield, Massachusetts. They also spent summers on Cape Cod. Politics was always a part of their lives. In 1980, his parents worked on the presidential campaign of his great-uncle, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. His father was elected to Congress in 1986. His parents divorced in 1991. The twins then moved between Brighton and Cambridge.

Kennedy (left) in the Dominican Republic as part of the Peace Corps

After finishing school at Buckingham Browne & Nichols in Cambridge, Kennedy and his brother went to Stanford University. Joseph studied management science and engineering. At Stanford, Kennedy shared a room with future NBA player Jason Collins. He was also part of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.

After graduating in 2003, Kennedy joined the Peace Corps. He speaks fluent Spanish. From 2004 to 2006, he worked in the Dominican Republic. He helped local tour guides in a nature reserve. He helped them organize and improve their skills. This made the tours more appealing to tourists. Kennedy said their efforts led to higher wages for employees. It also increased the tour companies' earnings. His work in the Peace Corps also included helping in East Timor and with the United Nations Development Programme.

Starting a Career in Law and Politics

Kennedy speaking at the 50th Anniversary of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (2011)

In April 2006, Kennedy returned to Massachusetts. He and his brother helped with Ted Kennedy's re-election campaign. That same month, Kennedy started at Harvard Law School. While there, he worked for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. He helped people with low incomes who were facing foreclosure. This was after the 2008 financial crisis. He also worked for the Harvard Human Rights Journal. In 2007, he and his future wife, Lauren Anne Birchfield, started a program for young people. It was called Picture This: Justice and Power. In 2008, he began an internship at the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office.

After getting his law degree in 2009, Kennedy became an assistant district attorney (DA). He worked for the Cape and Islands Office. In early 2010, he thought about running for a U.S. House seat. However, he decided not to at that time. In September 2011, he joined the Middlesex County, Massachusetts, District Attorney's Office. He also worked there as an assistant DA. He left this job a few months later. This was to prepare for his announcement to run for political office.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Elections for Congress

2012 Election

Kennedy (left) campaigning with Elizabeth Warren (center), and his predecessor Barney Frank (right), 2012 Boston Pride Parade

In January 2012, Kennedy announced he was thinking about running for Congress. He wanted to represent the new 4th congressional district of Massachusetts. He said he would talk to people in the district. He wanted to hear about their challenges and ideas. He would then decide whether to run.

He officially entered the election in February 2012. In a video, Kennedy said he believed in fairness for everyone. He promised to work for a "fair job plan" and a "better educational system." He also wanted a "fair tax code" and "fair housing policy."

Many other Democratic candidates were planning to run. But most of them decided not to once Kennedy announced his candidacy. His family's history made him a strong favorite. In the primary election on September 6, he won with about 90 percent of the vote. On November 6, 2012, he was elected to the House of Representatives. He defeated the Republican candidate, Sean Bielat. Kennedy won with over 60% of the votes.

Re-elections in 2014, 2016, and 2018

In the 2014 election, Kennedy ran without any opponents. He was re-elected for his second term. He received 184,158 votes, which was 98%.

In 2016, he also ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. He was re-elected for a third term. He defeated Republican David Rosa by more than 40 percentage points.

Kennedy was considered for the 2018 Massachusetts governor's election. However, he decided to run for re-election to the House instead. He said he had no plans to run for any other office. He was re-elected without an opponent.

Time in Congress

Joe Kennedy III speaks during a ceremony celebrating the life of his grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy, in 2018.

Kennedy's official portrait during the 116th United States Congress

Kennedy began his term in the 113th U.S. Congress on January 3, 2013. He was assigned to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He also joined the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He saw the technology committee as a chance to get federal money for science companies in his district. As a new member of his party, he could not get a seat on the Education Committee, which he wanted.

In a science committee meeting, Kennedy asked about a company's efforts to help former employees. These employees had cancer from a nuclear facility. Kennedy was good at raising money. He started his own political action committee, the 4MA PAC, in April. As part of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he traveled to Afghanistan in May. There, he met with President Hamid Karzai and military members. That month, he became chairman of Governor Deval Patrick's STEM Advisory Council.

On July 24, 2013, Kennedy voted against an amendment. This amendment aimed to limit government surveillance programs. Most members of his party voted for the amendment. Kennedy's vote was seen by some as a lack of commitment to civil liberties.

Kennedy was also a member of the U.S.-Japan Caucus.

2020 U.S. Senate Campaign

Logo for Kennedy's 2020 Senate Campaign

On August 26, 2019, Kennedy announced he was thinking about running against Senator Ed Markey. On September 21, he officially announced his campaign. He said he would not run for re-election to the House. Instead, he would challenge Markey in the Democratic primary. On September 1, 2020, Markey defeated him in the primary election. This made Kennedy the first member of his family to lose an election in Massachusetts.

Many people thought he lost because he couldn't clearly explain why he was running. Also, Markey had strong support from young voters and progressive groups. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi supported Kennedy. Markey had support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Vice-President Al Gore, and Senator Elizabeth Warren. He also had support from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and The Boston Globe. This election was seen as a big contest. It was between the traditional Democratic Party and its growing progressive side. However, both candidates had connections to both groups.

Work in the Biden Administration

Kennedy with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2023

Special Envoy to Northern Ireland

On December 19, 2022, President Biden announced that Kennedy would become the U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. He replaced Mick Mulvaney, who had retired.

This role is not strictly a diplomatic one. However, Kennedy is the fifth member of his family to serve as a diplomat or foreign envoy. His cousin Caroline Kennedy was U.S. Ambassador to Japan. She is now U.S. Ambassador to Australia. His aunt Victoria Reggie Kennedy is U.S. Ambassador to Austria. His aunt Jean Kennedy Smith was U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. His uncle Sargent Shriver was U.S. Ambassador to France. And his great-grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. was U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Kennedy left this position on December 13, 2024. This was before the end of the Biden administration.

Political Beliefs

Civil Rights

Kennedy has supported laws to study reparations for slavery. He also supports expanding the civil rights of Native Americans. He is against discrimination in jobs, housing, education, and healthcare. He wants to remove barriers for people with disabilities. This includes improving access to public transportation, housing, voting, and education. For gender equity, he supports laws to end workplace and wage discrimination.

Climate Change

Kennedy supported the Green New Deal. He believes in strong actions to reduce carbon emissions. He wants to enforce pollution control standards. He also aims to protect public lands from fossil fuel extraction. He promotes clean energy instead of pipelines. He also wants to invest in related infrastructure and scientific research. He supports strict fuel efficiency standards. He also wants to remove exemptions from the Clean Air Act. He was against the U.S. leaving the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump.

Racial Equality

Kennedy helped pass laws to ensure access to STEM and vocational education. He also supported laws to reduce most student debt. He has supported laws to reduce racial discrimination in housing. He favors increasing federal grants for minority-owned small businesses. He also supports criminal justice reform.

Healthcare

Kennedy supports making Social Security and Medicare stronger. He believes Medicare should be able to negotiate prescription drug prices directly with drug manufacturers.

Election Results

Personal Life

Elizabeth Warren (left) speaking with Kennedy (center) and his wife Lauren in 2019

Kennedy married Lauren Anne Birchfield on December 1, 2012. She is a lawyer who focuses on health policy. They met at Harvard Law School. They took a class taught by future U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. On December 29, 2015, their daughter, Eleanor, was born. On December 20, 2017, Kennedy announced the birth of their son, James. The family lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

Kennedy's net worth is about $43 million. This made him one of the wealthiest members of Congress.

See also

In Spanish: Joseph P. Kennedy III para niños

• Kennedy family