Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of John F. Kennedy, will run for US Congress, he told his supporters on Tuesday.
The only grandson to the late former president JFK, Schlossberg, 32, is best known for his provocative and outspoken political commentary online.
He is seeking to fill the congressional seat being vacated by New York Representative Jerrold Nadler, who announced in September that he would retire after more than three decades in office.
In an interview earlier on Tuesday, the son of the Kennedys’ daughter Caroline told the New York Times that he felt the Democrats needed more voices to “push back on perceived abuses of power by President Trump and his allies”.
With almost 2 million followers collectively across Instagram and TikTok, the Kennedy heir has been open about his goals to make politics accessible for younger voters.
In 2024, he was announced as Vogue’s political correspondent in the lead-up to the US election, in part due to what the publication called his “silly goose” antics online.
He told the magazine that he was inspired by his family’s legacy of public service, and said he wanted to contribute “in my own way”.
Naming his grandfather, who was assassinated in 1963, as his hero, Schlossberg told Vogue that JFK’s administration was “a blueprint for how progressivism can work in America”.
Shortly after announcing his campaign, Schlossberg shared a series of videos and links to his social media accounts, urging his followers to donate “so we can win”.
His campaign website declares a “new generation of leadership” for New York, and makes “12 promises to the people of New York’s 12th district”.
“This is our last chance to stop Trump – it won’t come again,” it reads.
Schlossberg has been vocal about his opposition to the Trump administration, which includes his estranged cousin Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Despite being a relative, he is especially critical of the US health secretary, whom he has called a “loser”.
Schlossberg’s decision comes as Democrats are hoping to regain control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections.
“There is nothing our party can’t do to address costs of living, corruption and the constitutional crisis that we’re in,” he told the New York Times on Tuesday.
“But without the control of Congress, there’s almost nothing that we can do.”
Schlossberg has been hinting for months at his possible run for the seat.
A number of other Democrats have also announced campaigns for NY-12, including state assemblymen Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, and veteran journalist Jami Floyd.
Newly elected New York City mayor and fellow millennial Zohran Mamdani has not yet endorsed a candidate in the primary.
