The Kennedy name continues on in American politics. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of the 35th president of the United States John F. Kennedy, announced on November 11 that he would run for Congress. The 32-year-old threw his name into the race for the election to represent the 12th district of New York. The current representative is 78-year-old Jerry Nadler, who's held the position since 1992, a year before Jack was born. Representative Nadler announced in September that he would not seek re-election, opening the race to a slew of candidates.
In his announcement, Jack said: "I'm running for Congress to represent my home, New York's 12th congressional district, where I was born and raised, where I took the bus to school every single day from one side of the district to the other." He continued: "I'm not running because I have all the answers to our problems. I'm running because the people of New York 12 do. I want to listen to your struggles, hear your stories, amplify your voice, go to Washington and execute on your behalf."
The election for the 12th Congressional district of New York will be held on November 3, 2026. Jack joins a crowded race, and will face current competitors New York State assemblyman Micah Lasher, journalist and lawyer Alex Bores, and non-profit founder Liam Elkind.
Jack's decision to run for office seemed almost predestined. He is the son of Caroline Kennedy – a former United States ambassador to Japan – and Edwin Schlossberg – a designer and artist. His grandfather was one of the most famous presidents in American history, his great-uncle – Bobby Kennedy – was the 64th United States attorney general and ran for president in 1960, and his other great-uncle, Ted Kennedy served as a Senator for 47 years.
Who is Jack Schlossberg?
The young politician following his family's footsteps studied history at Yale University and received a law degree and master's of business administration degree from Harvard University. In 2023, he passed the bar exam. In 2017, when Jack was just 25-years old, he spoke with the Today hosts about his political motivations: "I'm inspired by my family's legacy of public service. It's something that I'm very proud of. But I'm still trying to make my own way and figure things out. So stay tuned — I don't know what I'm going to do."
Jack has two older sisters – Rose Schlossberg, 37, and Tatiana Schlossberg, 35. The family grew up out of the spotlight in New York City. While his mom was the U.S. ambassador to Japan, Jack lived and worked in the country from 2013 to 2017. Since then, he has become very politically engaged and outspoken.
In 2004, Jack and his mom recorded a video message for the Democratic National Convention. The video started with Caroline saying: "Sixty years ago in a crowded L.A. stadium, my father accepted the Democratic nomination for president." Jack continued on, adding: "Times have changed, but the themes of my grandfather's speech — courage, unity and patriotism — are as important today as they were in 1960. Once again, we need a leader who believes America's best days are yet to come. We need Joe Biden."
Last year, Jack was a political correspondent for Vogue. "Jack emerged as a staff favorite early on in this election cycle with his irreverent but intelligent takes on the political landscape," editor Chloe Malle said in a statement to The New York Times. "We all know the stakes of this election and it is critical to Vogue that we do all we can to get our audience motivated to vote."
In Jack's personal life, he is a dog dad. He welcomed his puppy, Chester, in 2017. Jack is also very active on social media, posting videos of himself doing ballet and exploring New York City. And for those who dream of becoming the next Jackie Kennedy Onassis, it's reported that Jack is single!