Kathleen Kennedy Townsend facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Kennedy Townsend in 2014
6th Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
In office January 18, 1995 – January 15, 2003
Governor	Parris Glendening
Preceded by	Melvin Steinberg
Succeeded by	Michael Steele
Personal details
Born	Kathleen Hartington Kennedy (1951-07-04) July 4, 1951 (age 73) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	David Townsend ​ (m. 1973)​
Children	4, including Maeve
Parents	Robert F. Kennedy Ethel Kennedy
Relatives	Kennedy family
Education	Harvard University (BA) University of New Mexico (JD)

Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend (born July 4, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician. She served as the 6th lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. She was the first woman ever to hold this important position in Maryland. A member of the Democratic Party, she later ran for governor of Maryland in 2002 but did not win.

In 2010, Townsend became the leader of American Bridge, a group that helps raise money for Democratic candidates and causes. Since 2021, she has worked as an advisor for the United States Department of Labor, focusing on retirement issues. She is part of the famous political Kennedy family. She is the oldest grandchild of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen was born in Greenwich, Connecticut. She is the oldest of eleven children of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. Her aunt, Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington, was her namesake. She spent her childhood in homes in McLean, Virginia, and Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. When she was young, it wasn't expected that the girls in her family would enter politics. However, after her uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated, her father wrote to her. He told her she had a special responsibility as the oldest of the next generation. He encouraged her to be kind and work for her country.

When she was 14, Kathleen had an accident while riding her horse. She was hurt and taken to the hospital, but she recovered well. She was 16 when her father was assassinated. She was flying to Los Angeles with her older brothers when it happened.

Kathleen went to Our Lady of Victory Elementary School in Washington, D.C. She later graduated from The Putney School in Vermont. She studied at Radcliffe College of Harvard University, earning her bachelor's degree in history and literature in 1974. She then went to the University of New Mexico School of Law. She received her law degree in 1978.

Early Career in Law and Politics

After law school, Kathleen worked as a lawyer at a firm in New Haven, Connecticut. Later, she worked for a judge in Massachusetts. She also helped with her uncle Ted Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign. She supported other Democrats and worked as a policy analyst for the Governor of Massachusetts in the early 1980s.

In 1984, Kathleen and her husband moved to the Baltimore metropolitan area in Maryland. In 1986, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland. She was the first Kennedy family member to lose a general election. She was defeated by Republican Helen Delich Bentley.

After this election, Townsend worked for the state government of Maryland. She held several jobs, including assistant Attorney General. In 1993, she worked for the U.S. Justice Department. There, she helped manage grants for local police and community groups.

Lieutenant Governor of Maryland

Becoming Lieutenant Governor in 1994

In 1994, Parris Glendening was running for governor. He chose Kathleen Kennedy Townsend as his running mate. A running mate is a person who runs alongside the main candidate. Her well-known name and ability to raise money helped him win the primary election.

Townsend in 2001

In the main election, Glendening and Townsend won against Republican candidate Ellen Sauerbrey. It was a very close election. After the results, Sauerbrey claimed the election was unfair. She said there were problems with how votes were counted. However, a judge ruled that there was no clear proof of fraud. The judge said the problems were not enough to change the outcome. Sauerbrey dropped her lawsuit, and Glendening and Townsend became Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Sauerbrey ran against Glendening again in 1998. This time, Glendening and Townsend won by a much larger amount.

What She Did as Lieutenant Governor

As lieutenant governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend worked on two main goals. She focused on reducing crime and helping the state's economic development. Under her leadership, Maryland became the first state to require community service for high school graduation. This meant students had to volunteer in their communities to get their diploma.

She also started programs to make communities safer. Her "HotSpot Communities Initiative" brought together police and government groups. They worked to prevent crime in areas with high crime rates. Her "Break the Cycle" program required people on parole or probation to take regular drug tests.

2002 Gubernatorial Election

In the 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend ran for governor. She faced Republican Bob Ehrlich and Libertarian Spear Lancaster.

During the campaign, some people questioned her choice for a running mate, Admiral Charles R. Larson. He was new to politics and had recently changed parties. Even though Maryland usually votes for Democrats, Townsend lost the election. She received 48% of the votes, while Ehrlich received 51%. Ehrlich became only the seventh Republican governor in Maryland's history. Many people thought her campaign was not strong enough.

After Her Political Career

After leaving office, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend continued to be active. She wrote a book called Failing America's Faithful. She also teaches at universities like Georgetown Public Policy Institute and Harvard Kennedy School.

In 2010, she became the leader of American Bridge. This group helps raise money for Democratic candidates and causes. She wanted to make sure Democrats had as much support as other political groups.

In recent years, Townsend has supported President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in their campaigns. She has publicly supported them over her brother, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent candidate.

Personal Life

In 1973, Kathleen married David Lee Townsend. They met when he was her tutor in college. As of 2020, David teaches at St. John's College in Annapolis. Kathleen and David have four daughters:

• Meaghan Anne Kennedy Townsend (born 1977)
• Maeve Fahey Kennedy Townsend (1979–2020)
• Rose Katherine "Kat" Kennedy Townsend (born 1983)
• Kerry Sophia Kennedy Townsend (born 1991)

In 2011, her daughter Maeve had a son named Gideon Joseph Kennedy McKean. Gideon was the first great-grandchild for Bobby and Ethel Kennedy. He was also the first of the fifth generation of the Kennedy family.

Sadly, Maeve and her son Gideon went missing in a canoeing accident on April 2, 2020. Their bodies were found a few days later in the Chesapeake Bay.

Boards and Organizations

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend has served on the boards of many organizations. She is the chair of the Institute for Human Virology at the University of Maryland. She is also on the boards of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Points of Light Foundation. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Inter-American Dialogue. She also helps choose winners for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service.

Electoral History

See also

• List of female lieutenant governors in the United States