Jack Schlossberg officially entered the race to fill an open New York City House seat on Wednesday, the latest in a long line of Kennedys to join the political arena.
A Democratic influencer and grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, Schlossberg has cultivated a dedicated following on social media in recent years and recently served as a political correspondent at Vogue ahead of the 2024 election. Now, he hopes to parlay his notoriety into a successful campaign for a deep-blue New York House seat being vacated by the dean of New York’s congressional delegation, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.). Nadler announced his plans not to seek reelection in September.
POLITICO reported last week that Schlossberg planned to enter the race.
“I’m not running because I have all the answers to our problems,” he said in a video announcement. “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.”
Schlossberg cast his campaign as a cog in the broader Democratic effort to stymie President Donald Trump’s political agenda — and to quash any talk of a third term.
“We deserve better, and we can do better, and it starts with the Democratic Party winning back control of the House of Representatives,” he said. “With control of Congress, there’s nothing we can’t do. Without it, we’re helpless to a third term.”
Though the president has mused about running again for president in 2028 — and sold plenty of merch attesting to future electoral ambitions — Trump in October conceded he cannot run again under the Constitution.
But while Schlossberg boasts prodigious skill on social media, alongside more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, he’s far from the favorite in the coming Democratic primary for the House seat.
That would be New York Assemblymember Micah Lasher, Nadler’s heir apparent and a key political ally to many in New York.
