John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, announced Tuesday that he is launching a campaign for Congress to succeed longtime New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is retiring after 17 terms, as reported by Fox News.
Schlossberg, 32, confirmed his candidacy in an email to supporters and said he would formally kick off his campaign on Wednesday.
The announcement follows a campaign video released late Tuesday on social media, where he outlined his vision for the Manhattan-based congressional district.
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, announced late Tuesday that he would run for Congress in 2026. https://t.co/khU3uU1qxc
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) November 12, 2025
“This district should have a representative who can harness the creativity, energy, and drive of this district and translate that into political power in Washington,” Schlossberg said in the video.
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Schlossberg, a Democrat, sharply criticized President Donald Trump in the video, accusing the administration of corruption and what he described as a “constitutional crisis.”
“It’s a corruption crisis,” Schlossberg said. “The president has made almost a billion dollars this year. He’s picking winners and losers from inside the Oval Office. It’s cronyism, not capitalism.”
He continued, “It’s a constitutional crisis with one dangerous man in control of all three branches of government. He’s stripping citizens of their civil rights and silencing his critics.”
Schlossberg, the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has frequently voiced political opinions on social media, often targeting President Trump and his policies.
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He has also publicly clashed with his cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., over health and vaccine issues.
Last month, Schlossberg mocked Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health-focused platform by posting an Instagram image of a Halloween costume called “MAHA Man,” a reference to Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again slogan, describing it as including “such things as measles.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler, who represents New York’s 12th Congressional District, announced in September that he would not seek re-election. Speaking with The New York Times, Nadler suggested that “a younger Democratic lawmaker can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”
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Nadler’s district includes Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Upper East Side, and Midtown.
His departure marks the end of more than three decades in Congress, during which he served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and played a key role in multiple high-profile impeachment efforts.
Schlossberg’s entry into the race adds a well-known family name to what is expected to become a competitive Democratic primary in one of the nation’s most prominent urban districts.
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