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 74) 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	Radcliffe College (BA) University of New Mexico (JD)

Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend (born July 4, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician. She served as the sixth lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. She was the first woman to hold this important position in Maryland. A member of the Democratic Party, she later ran for governor of Maryland in 2002.

In 2010, Townsend became the leader of American Bridge. This group helps raise money for Democratic candidates and causes. Since 2021, she has worked for the United States Department of Labor. She advises on retirement plans. Kathleen is part of the well-known political Kennedy family. She is the oldest grandchild of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen Hartington Kennedy was born on July 4, 1951. She was born in Greenwich, Connecticut. She is the oldest of 11 children born to Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. She was named after her aunt, Kathleen Cavendish. Kathleen is the oldest grandchild of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy.

She grew up in family homes in McLean, Virginia and Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. When she was young, girls in the Kennedy family were not expected to run for office. After her uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated, her father wrote to her. He told Kathleen she had a special responsibility as the oldest of the next generation. He encouraged her to be kind and work for her country. Her family sometimes called her "Clean Kathleen" or "the Nun."

Kathleen was 14 when she had a horse riding accident in 1965. She was competing in West Barnstable, Massachusetts. Her horse threw her, and she was hurt. She was taken to Cape Cod Hospital. Her family was found three hours later.

She was 16 when her father was assassinated. This happened in 1968. Kathleen and her two older brothers were flying to Los Angeles that night. They were on a special plane.

Kennedy 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. She earned her bachelor's degree in history and literature in 1974. Then, she went to the University of New Mexico School of Law. She received her law degree in 1978.

Starting Her Career

After law school, Kathleen worked as a lawyer. She was at a firm in New Haven, Connecticut. Her husband, David Townsend, was studying law at Yale Law School. In 1982, Kathleen became a lawyer in Massachusetts. She worked for a judge.

She also helped with her uncle Ted Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign. She supported other Democrats. In the early 1980s, she worked for Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. She helped him with policy ideas.

In 1984, Kathleen and her family moved to the Baltimore area in Maryland. In 1985, she became a lawyer in Maryland. Two years later, in 1987, Townsend ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. She ran in Maryland's 2nd congressional district. This area usually voted Republican. She lost to the Republican, Helen Delich Bentley.

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

Lieutenant Governor of Maryland

Becoming Lieutenant Governor

In 1994, Parris Glendening was running for governor. He chose Kathleen Kennedy Townsend as his running mate. Experts thought her famous name and ability to raise money would help him win.

Townsend in 2001

In the main election, Glendening and Townsend won. They beat Republican candidate Ellen Sauerbrey. It was a very close election. Glendening won by only 5,993 votes. Sauerbrey challenged the results in court. She claimed there were problems with the election. The judge found some issues but said they did not change the outcome. Sauerbrey dropped her lawsuit.

Sauerbrey ran against Glendening again in 1998. This time, Glendening and Townsend won by a much larger amount. They received 55% of the votes, while Sauerbrey got 44%.

Key Work as Lieutenant Governor

As lieutenant governor, Townsend focused on reducing crime and helping the state's economy grow. Maryland became the first state to require community service for high school graduation under her leadership. Her "HotSpot Communities Initiative" worked with police to lower crime in specific areas. Her "Break the Cycle" program required people on parole to take regular drug tests.

During the 2000 presidential election, Townsend traveled to Iowa. She campaigned for Al Gore.

2002 Governor Election

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

During her campaign, some people criticized her choice for running mate. She chose Admiral Charles R. Larson. He was new to politics and had just changed parties. Ehrlich's running mate was Michael Steele, an African-American lawyer.

Maryland usually votes for Democrats. It had not elected a Republican governor in almost 40 years. However, Townsend lost the race. She received 48% of the vote, while Ehrlich got 51%. Ehrlich became only the seventh Republican governor in Maryland's history. Many people thought her campaign was not strong enough.

Life After Politics

Townsend with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, 2025

In 2008, Townsend and her siblings Robert, Jr. and Kerry supported Hillary Clinton for president.

Townsend wrote a book called Failing America's Faithful. It was published in 2007. She also writes for a website called The Recovering Politician.

She is a professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. She is also a visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. She is a senior fellow at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

In December 2010, Townsend became the chair of American Bridge. This group helps raise money for Democratic candidates. She wanted to help Democrats compete with Republicans in fundraising.

In 2024, Townsend supported Joe Biden's campaign for president. She did this even though her brother, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was also running. Later, Townsend and four of her siblings supported Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign. They spoke out against their brother Robert Jr.'s decision to support former President Donald Trump.

Family Life

In 1973, Kathleen married David Lee Townsend. They met when he was her tutor at Radcliffe. As of 2020, David teaches at St. John's College in Annapolis. They 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)

On June 27, 2011, 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.

Maeve and her son Gideon went missing in a canoeing accident on April 2, 2020. They were later found.

Boards and Organizations

Townsend has served on the boards of many groups. She has also advised several companies. She leads the Institute for Human Virology at the University of Maryland. Townsend is on the boards of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Points of Light Foundation. She is also on the boards of the Center for American Progress and Catholic Democrats.

She was also on the Advisory Council of ACORN. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Inter-American Dialogue. She is on the Board of Selectors for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service. Townsend is also on the board of directors for Lightbridge, a nuclear fuel technology company.

Electoral History

See also

• List of female lieutenant governors in the United States