Edward M. Kennedy Jr. Explained

State Senate1:Connecticut
District1:12th
Term Start1:January 7, 2015
Term End1:January 9, 2019
Predecessor1:Edward Meyer
Successor1:Christine Cohen
Birth Name:Edward Moore Kennedy Jr.
Birth Date:26 September 1961
Birth Place:Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Children:2
Parents:Edward M. Kennedy
Joan Bennett
Relatives:Kennedy family
Education:Wesleyan University (BA)
Yale University (MS)
University of Connecticut, Hartford (JD)

Edward Moore Kennedy Jr. (born September 26, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician. He is a partner at Epstein Becker & Green, a firm headquartered in New York City, and previously represented Connecticut's 12th State Senate district in the Connecticut State Senate from 2015 to 2019.He is a son of Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy Sr. from Massachusetts and a nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Early life and education

Kennedy was born in the Brighton section of Boston, Massachusetts to U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and Joan Bennett Kennedy during the presidency of his paternal uncle, John. He is the brother of Kara (19602011) and Patrick J. Kennedy (born 1967).

In 1973, when Kennedy was twelve, osteosarcoma (a form of bone cancer) was diagnosed in his right leg. The leg was surgically amputated on November 17, 1973. On that same day, his father had escorted his niece Kathleen down the aisle at her wedding and rushed back to the hospital. A made-for-TV movie, The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story (1986), concentrated on this event in young Kennedy's life.[1] [2]

In 1982, his mother, Joan, revealed that Kennedy missed by just ten minutes being aboard Air Florida Flight 90, which crashed into the Potomac River on January 13 of that year, killing 74 people. Kennedy was delayed on the drive to the airport and missed the flight.

Kennedy graduated from the private St. Albans School, in Washington, D.C. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Wesleyan University in 1984, he continued his studies at Yale University, earning a master's degree from the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.[3] He then attended the University of Connecticut School of Law at night, earning a Juris Doctor degree.[4] On May 19, 2013, Kennedy received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of New Haven.[5]

Career

After graduation he worked at the New Haven law firm Wiggin & Dana specializing in disability issues. He later co-founded and served as president of the Marwood Group, a firm that advises corporations about health care and financial services. He left the Marwood Group in 2014 to join the law firm of Epstein Becker & Green where he advises health care providers, commercial insurers, and life science companies on critical issues related to health care reform policies.[3] [6] [7]

Kennedy is the Chairman of the board of directors of the American Association of People with Disabilities.[8]

Political career

On April 8, 2014, Kennedy announced his candidacy for a seat in the Connecticut State Senate representing the state's 12th district.[9] He was elected on November 4. He was re-elected on November 8, 2016.[10] In both election cycles, Kennedy defeated Bruce Wilson Jr.[11] [12]

On June 26, 2017, Kennedy announced that he would not run for Governor of Connecticut in 2018.[13] On February 28, 2018, Kennedy announced he would not seek re-election to the State Senate.[14] On November 6, 2018, Democrat Christine Cohen won the general election to replace Kennedy after defeating Republican Adam Greenberg.[15] [16] She was later sworn in on January 9, 2019.

State Senate

Kennedy was first sworn in to serve in the Connecticut State Senate on January 7, 2015.

Committee assignments

Party leadership

Personal life

On October 10, 1993, Kennedy married Katherine Anne "Kiki" Gershman (born 1959)[18] on Block Island, Rhode Island. She is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and an environmental advocate. She serves as spokeswoman for Stop the Pipeline, which successfully blocked the Islander East natural gas pipeline across the Long Island Sound. They live in Branford, Connecticut.[19] [20] [21] [22]

The couple have a daughter, Kiley Elizabeth Kennedy (born August 7, 1994, in New Haven),[23] a competitive snowboarder who graduated from Wesleyan University in 2016, and a son, Edward Moore Kennedy III (born February 26, 1998, in New Haven), who graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in 2016 and from Wesleyan University in 2020.

Kennedy gave a tribute to his father at his father's public funeral on August 29, 2009.[24]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Staff Writer (October 8, 2010). The Doctor's World. New York Times. Accessed March 1st, 2012.
  2. News: O'Connor . John J. . 'TED KENNEDY JR. STORY,' A FAMILY BIOGRAPHY (Published 1986) . 19 January 2021 . The New York Times . 24 November 1986.
  3. Web site: Edward M. Kennedy, Jr. 31 January 2024 .
  4. Staff Writer (July 29, 2008). Ted Kennedy Jr. Raises Profile . The CTMirror. Accessed March 1st 2012.
  5. Web site: University of New Haven : Ted Kennedy Jr., Sen. Murphy to address UNH... . https://archive.today/20130626181230/http://www.newhaven.edu/558913/ . 26 June 2013 . dead.
  6. Staff writer (Undated). "Welcome". Marwood Group. Accessed September 1, 2009.
  7. Staff writer (Undated). "Marwood Group LLC". BusinessWeek. Accessed September 1, 2009.
  8. Staff writer (Undated). "Meet our Board of Directors" . American Association of People with Disabilities. Accessed August 31, 2009.
  9. News: Ted Kennedy Jr. announces run for Connecticut state senate seat. Richard. Weizel. April 8, 2014. June 26, 2017. Yahoo! News.
  10. News: Incumbent Democratic state Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. wins 12th Senate District. Nov 8, 2016. New Haven Register. Jun 26, 2017.
  11. News: Kennedy, Wilson face off again in 12th District . July 31, 2020 . Middletown Press . October 25, 2016.
  12. News: Carlin . Sean . Madison's Bruce Wilson Jr. to challenge Ted Kennedy Jr. in 12th Senate District . July 31, 2020 . New Haven Register . May 8, 2014.
  13. News: Kennedy Jr. Will Not Run For Governor In 2018. Daniela. Altimari. June 26, 2017. Hartford Courant.
  14. News: Ted Kennedy Jr. Won't Seek Re-Election To State Senate. Neil. Vigdor. February 28, 2018. Hartford Courant.
  15. Web site: Guilford Election Results 2018: Local Winners Revealed. 6 November 2018.
  16. News: New General Assembly sworn in with. Connecticut Post . 9 January 2019 . Munson . By Emilie .
  17. Web site: The Voter's Self Defense System.
  18. Staff writer (October 11, 1993). "Weddings; Dr. Gershman, E. M. Kennedy Jr". The New York Times. Accessed August 23, 2009.
  19. Staff writer (February 14, 1993). "Engagements; Dr. Gershman, Edward M. Kennedy Jr.". The New York Times. Accessed August 23, 2009.
  20. Zaretsky, Mark (December 2, 2008). "High Court Sinks Plan for Natural Gas Pipeline" New Haven Register. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
  21. News: Son shuns spotlight, but not duty . The Boston Globe . Jenna . Russell . September 13, 2009.
  22. Web site: Ted Kennedy Jr. Of Branford won't run for Senate in '12- the New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut . 2011-04-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120915001331/http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2011/02/16/news/doc4d5c261ea2fdb168999909.txt . 2012-09-15 . dead .
  23. Brozan, Nadine (August 8, 1994). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Accessed August 23, 2009.
  24. Video (August 29, 2009). "Kennedy Jr. on His Dad". CBS News's module at YouTube. Accessed September 1, 2009.