Since Patrick Joseph Kennedy entered the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1884, the Kennedy name has been associated with US politics. From the battle for civil rights to setting fashion trends, the dynasty has been at the forefront of American public life for more than 100 years. While the younger generations may not have the global recognition of JFK or RFK, they continue to uphold the family legacy of political engagement and social clout. Here are the ones to watch:
Jack Schlossberg
The only grandson of JFK, Jack Schlossberg’s public persona was crafted on social media, where he has upwards of 1.6 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. Often posting controversial content, he uses the platforms to “get people talking” and, said the BBC, to “make politics accessible for younger voters”.
He joined Vogue as a political correspondent ahead of the 2024 presidential election, a position he was offered, he said, partly due to his “silly goose” antics. He told the magazine he was inspired by his family’s “legacy of public service”, a drive that has resulted in the 32-year-old announcing, last November, he is to run for Congress.
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Schlossberg said he feels the Democratic Party needs more voices to “push back on perceived abuses of power” by the current administration – he is critical of his cousin, the US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, calling him a “loser” – and told his followers: “This is our last chance to stop Trump – it won’t come again.”
Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo
The youngest of three sisters, Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo comes from a “long line of Empire State power players”, said People Magazine. Granddaughter of RFK and daughter of Kerry Kennedy and New York mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, she too has built a following as a social media influencer.
Close to her twin siblings, Mariah and Cara, Kennedy-Cuomo was a staunch supporter of her father’s campaign last year, and showed grace in defeat, posting “Proud of Team Cuomo, and the commitment to the greater good”.
The 28-year-old uses her public platform to advocate for mental health awareness, sexual assault prevention and LGBTQ+ rights. She revealed in 2021 that she identifies as demisexual.
Patrick Schwarzenegger
The Kennedy line is almost as entrenched in Hollywood as it is in politics. And the latest to have his name in lights is Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, the second child of Eunice Kennedy.
The 32-year-old actor and model’s career began in the 2000s with TV and movie roles, following one of his first jobs, a music video with Ariane Grande, and he was most recently seen starring as Saxon Ratliff in season three of "The White Lotus".
The actor has shown no interest in following the family into politics and has told how he and his siblings “hated” it when their father gave up his movie career to become the Governor of California, said The Independent.
Joe Kennedy III
Following his time as US special envoy to Northern Ireland for economic affairs, Joe Kennedy III has taken a step back from international relations to concentrate on the “work to do in red states”, said The New York Times.
Since returning to the US at the end of November 2024, the 45-year-old former Democratic congressman is concerned with “retracing the steps of his grandfather”, Robert F. Kennedy, in Mississippi. “I know a bit about my grandfather’s visit to the Delta back in the 60s, and how it changed and outraged him to see this in the richest country in the world,” he said. Kennedy now intends to honour this spirit with the Groundwork Project, a non-profit association to develop “a network of grassroots resistance” in states that receive “little attention from left-leaning organisations”.
In 2020, Kennedy lost his bid to become senator for Massachusetts – the first in his family not to win a senatorial contest – and while his pivot to grassroots work keeps him “engaged and energised” at some point down the road, he says, he wouldn’t “rule anything out”.
