Joe Kennedy III | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland | |
| Assumed office December 19, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Mick Mulvaney |
| 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 October 4, 1980 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lauren Birchfield (m. 2012) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| 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 who has been the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland since 2022. Prior to this, Kennedy served as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district from 2013 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented a district that extends from Boston's western suburbs to the state's South Coast. He worked as an assistant district attorney in the Cape and Islands and Middlesex County, Massachusetts, offices before his election to Congress. In January 2021, he became a CNN commentator.[1]
A member of the Kennedy family, he is a son of U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, a grandson of U.S. Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, a grandnephew of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, and a great-grandson of U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
Born in Boston, Kennedy was raised in the area with his twin brother, Matthew Rauch Kennedy. After graduating from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree, he spent two years in the Dominican Republic as a member of the Peace Corps, before earning a Juris Doctor at Harvard Law School in 2009. He resigned from his role as assistant district attorney in early 2012 to run for the U.S. House of Representatives seat held by the retiring Barney Frank. Kennedy was sworn into office in January 2013, and sat on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2020, Kennedy unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Senator Ed Markey for the Democratic nomination in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate election.[2] He was succeeded by fellow Democrat, and distant cousin-in-law, Jake Auchincloss.[3]
Since leaving office, he has founded Groundwork Project, which focuses on boosting local community organizing efforts throughout the United States.[4] He has also joined several advisory boards and has appeared as a political commentator for CNN.[5] On June 4, 2021, President Joe Biden appointed him to be a member of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships.[6] In December 2022, Kennedy was named the United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs by President Biden.[7]
- ^ Lisa Kashinsky (January 29, 2021). "Joe Kennedy becomes CNN commentator". Boston Herald. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Stephanie (September 2020). "Markey defeats Kennedy, Neal wins in Massachusetts". Politico. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ Goodwin, Liz; McGrane, Victoria (February 15, 2021). "Jake Auchincloss swings left in Congress amid lingering progressive skepticism". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ McGrane, Victoria. "After Senate defeat, Joe Kennedy III plots new path in politics". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Kashinsky, Lisa (January 29, 2021). "Joe Kennedy becomes CNN commentator". BostonHerald.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "President Biden Appoints Members to President's Commission on White House Fellowships". The White House. June 4, 2021.
- ^ Blinken, Antony. "Announcement of Joe Kennedy III as U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs". State Department. Retrieved December 19, 2022.