Joseph P. Kennedy III

Who is Joseph P. Kennedy III?

Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy III is an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the Kennedy family, serving as the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district since 2013. He is a Democrat whose district stretches from the western suburbs of Boston to the state's South Coast. A son of former U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, he worked as a Peace Corps volunteer and as an assistant district attorney in the Cape and Islands and Middlesex offices before his election to Congress.

Born in Brighton, Massachusetts, Kennedy was raised in the Boston area with his twin brother, Matthew Rauch "Matt" Kennedy. After attending Stanford University he spent two years in the Dominican Republic as a member of the Peace Corps, and earned his law degree at Harvard Law School in 2009. He resigned as a prosecutor in early 2012 to run for the seat held by retiring Congressman Barney Frank. He easily won the Democratic nomination through his associations with the Kennedy family, and went on to defeat Republican candidate Sean Bielat. He was sworn into office in January 2013 and sits on the Foreign Affairs and Science, Space, and Technology committees.