Ted Kennedy Jr. is seriously considering a run for the US Senate seat of John Kerry if, as expected, the Massachusetts senator becomes Secretary of State.
Kennedy's brother, former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy,
told the Boston Globe that leading Democrats, including Senator Charles Schumer of New York, want his brother to consider a campaign to replace Kerry and hold the seat for Democrats.
“It’s not something he took lightly when he was approached about running,’’ Patrick Kennedy told the Globe. “He got the message that he should seriously look at it.’’
The 51-year-old Kennedy’s entrance into the race could signal a major fight for the seat with national implications. Republican Scott Brown, who recently lost his seat to Elizabeth Warren, is widely being touted to run for the seat. Democrats are holding onto a slim majority in the US Senate.
Democrats are worried that Brown stands a strong chance of winning a special election, much as he did in 2010 when he won the seat left vacant after the death of Edward M. Kennedy Sr. in 2009. There's also concern of a crowded field of lesser Democratic names, a threat that would be lessened if a Kennedy enters the race.
Kennedy, 51, a resident of Branford, Conn., and president of the Marwood Group, a New York-based healthcare advisory firm, has been mum on the possibility so far.
Patrick Kennedy said his brother, a leading advocate for disability rights, had shied away from politics until he “caught the bug’’ in this year’s elections as he traveled around the country campaigning for President Obama and for candidates in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
“Clearly, given our father’s legacy, he could put on a very strong campaign,’’ said Patrick Kennedy. “It’s clearly the best opportunity for the Democrats to hold the seat.’’
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