16 February, 2012
Joseph Kennedy III, the son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II and a grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy, officially announced his candidacy for the 4th Congressional District.
Kennedy recently moved from Cambridge to Brookline, part of the state's newly redrawn 4th Congressional District. Hopkinton, previously in the 3rd Congressional District represented by Jim McGovern, is now in the 4th District which stretches from Brookline to Fall River.
Click Here to watch his video announcement.
Joe Kennedy III, a former Assistant District Attorney and Peace Corps Volunteer, today kicked off his campaign for U.S. Congress from the 4th Congressional District at a series of events across the district. Kennedy greeted commuters in Newton early this morning prior to visiting with voters in Milford, Attleboro, Taunton, and Fall River. Kennedy is running in the Democratic primary in the race to succeed retiring Congressman Barney Frank.
“I believe this country was founded on a simple idea: that every person deserves to be treated fairly, by each other and by their government,” Kennedy said in an announcement video released today. “But that’s not happening in America anymore. I’ve spoken to people from across Massachusetts who believe that Washington no longer works for them. People from Newton to Fall River see a government that’s become more interested in stacking the deck, than allowing every person a fair chance to play their hand.”
In the video, Kennedy made clear that he will fight for the issues important to the people of the 4th Congressional District, stating, “together, we’ll fight for a fair jobs plan that puts people back to work by re-building our infrastructure, creating a 21st century energy economy, and financing innovations that stimulate job growth. We’ll fight for an education system that prepares our citizens for high-skilled, good-paying jobs. For a fair tax code that says the middle class shouldn’t have to fund tax breaks for the super rich. For a fair housing policy that gets people underwater back on dry land and stabilizes the market. And to make sure government does not deny equality or fundamental rights.”
Joe also discussed his experience and commitment to public service. Prior to the campaign, Joe served as an Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County, prosecuting a wide variety of misdemeanors and felonies including assaults, domestic violence and firearms and drug offenses. Before joining the Middlesex County office he served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Cape and the Islands.
He served in the Peace Corps from 2004-2006 where he helped a group in the Dominican Republic create a new business that rewarded people for their backbreaking work and provided funding to grow the local economy, protect the environment, and invest in their communities.
Joe graduated Stanford University with a degree in Engineering and Harvard Law School. At Harvard he was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, a student managed pro-bono law firm where he represented tenants who were mistreated by landlords and banks. In addition to his legal aid work, Joe co-founded with his fiancé Lauren Birchfield an empowerment program for at-risk youth in a Boston public school.
“My family has had the great privilege of serving Massachusetts before,” Kennedy said at the end of his announcement video. “They taught me that public service is an honor, given in trust and that trust must be earned every day. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
