Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, announced his bid to fill the New York City House seat currently occupied by Rep. Jerry Nadler, making him JFK’s first direct descendent and latest member of his family to enter the political arena.
A Democratic influencer, Schlossberg announced his run for Congress Wednesday in a video shared on social media. He’s angling to fill the house seat Nadler, 78, who announced in September he would not seek reelection after 34 years representing Manhattanites.
“I’m not running because I have all the answers to our problems,” Schlossberg, whose full name is John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, said on Instagram. “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.”
Without directly mentioning his famous family, Schlossberg goes on to explain he was “born and raised” in the district, which includes much of Midtown Manhattan and the surrounding neighborhoods, stretching from the Upper West and East Sides to Roosevelt Island.
“I took the bus to school every single day from one side of the district to the other,” he continued. He attended the private Collegiate School in New York before going on to Yale, then Harvard.
Schlossberg also cast his campaign as part of a broader Democratic effort to push back against President Trump’s agenda, declaring that the country is at a “turning point.”
“It’s a crisis at every level,” he said. “A cost of living crisis sponsored by the Big Beautiful Bill. Historic cuts to social programs working families rely on. Health care, education, child care.”
Schlossberg added: “We deserve better, and we can do better, and it starts with the Democratic Party winning back control of the House of Representatives.”
In the leadup to the 2024 presidential election, Schlossberg saw his social media following explode as he dabbled in commentary, satire and impressions. He now boasts a combined 1.6 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
With News Wire Services
