The Kennedy name is once again back on a ballot — this time in Manhattan’s 12th Congressional District. Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy and son of Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, officially launched his campaign Tuesday to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is stepping down after more than three decades in Congress.
Schlossberg’s candidacy marks the formal political debut of a figure long adjacent to power, but until now untested in electoral politics. His campaign, framed as a generational call to arms, leans heavily on urgency. “This is our last chance to stop Trump — it won’t come again. History is calling. Will we answer?” the 31-year-old declares on his website, invoking the legacy of his grandfather with a modern twist of existential dread and digital-age directness.
At the heart of his platform is a twelve-point set of principles — Promises to the People — ranging from Service and Courage to Positivity and Creativity. Broad in theme and vague in policy, the list appears more evocative than actionable, a rhetorical foundation rather than a legislative blueprint. Still, the message is clear: Schlossberg is positioning himself as a moral voice for a party in flux, hoping that family legacy and youthful energy can bridge the widening gap between voters and vision.
Yet Schlossberg’s entrance into the race is far from a coronation. Nadler himself has been dismissive, stating bluntly, “He doesn’t have a record of public accomplishment… he certainly is not going to be a major candidate.” With a crowded field of seasoned contenders — including State Assemblyman Micah Lasher, a longtime Nadler aide, and City Councilman Erik Bottcher — the primary will be a battle not only of resumes, but of credibility.
Schlossberg’s resume includes stints at the State Department and as a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. He has been a high-profile Biden surrogate, and his digital reach — over 1.6 million social media followers — gives him an audience few of his rivals can match. But that online presence has also been a double-edged sword. His history of erratic, sometimes inappropriate posts — mocking family members, joking about Vice President JD Vance’s wife, and even taunting conservative commentators — threatens to complicate a campaign that leans so heavily on tone, legacy, and unity.
Still, there are signs that the Democratic establishment has not entirely written him off. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer appointed him to the America 250 Commission earlier this year — a ceremonial but notable gesture that signals some level of institutional comfort with his ascent.
Schlossberg’s sharp disavowal of his cousin RFK Jr.’s independent presidential bid — calling it a “vanity project” — further positions him as a loyalist to Biden-era Democratic orthodoxy. His emphasis on authenticity and “meeting people where they are” echoes the language of modern campaign strategy, though whether it translates into ground support in Manhattan’s politically savvy and demanding electorate remains to be seen.
For Schlossberg, the path forward is uncertain. The Kennedy name carries undeniable weight, but this is Manhattan in 2025, not Massachusetts in 1960. Charm and lineage alone won’t be enough to secure a seat in Congress — especially not in a district where progressives and institutional Democrats are already drawing lines in the sand.
What remains to be seen is whether Jack Schlossberg can translate legacy into legitimacy — and whether New York voters believe the torch has truly been passed to a new generation, or simply recycled.