Nancy Pelosi to endorse Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s grandson, for US House seat
By Camila DeChalus, Aleena Fayaz, CNN
(CNN) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to endorse Jack Schlossberg in his run for a hotly contested US House seat, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy’s grandson and a cousin of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced his run in the Democratic primary to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District last November. He is JFK’s first direct descendent and latest member of his family to run for elected office.
The seat is held by retiring Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who has represented the New York City district since 1992.
Pelosi, one of the most powerful figures in Democratic politics for decades, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. While retiring at the end of her term, the California lawmaker hasn’t shied from voicing opinions about her party.
In a private meeting last month, Pelosi blasted members of her party after nearly half of the House Oversight Committee’s Democrats voted to hold the Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in its Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The New York Times was first to report Pelosi’s endorsement plans.
Schlossberg, 33, is the youngest child of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg.
In a video announcing his campaign, Schlossberg slammed President Donald Trump and focused his message on affordability, saying, “We deserve better, and we can do better, and it starts with the Democratic Party winning back control of the House of Representatives.”
The Kennedy grandson emerged as an outspoken voice calling for Democratic Party reforms after its losses in 2024.
Schlossberg has become known for his viral, freewheeling videos on social media. He previously told CNN he thinks his understanding of how to communicate in the age of vertical video will help him connect with younger people.
Schlossberg has aligned himself with the young, progressive wing of the Democratic Party pressing for generational change. He backed Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor’s race, remarking, “I don’t give a f**k” about crossing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was previously married to Kerry Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s niece.
Three generations of Kennedys have served in elected office, including John F. Kennedy’s brothers Robert, a former attorney general and New York senator, and Ted, the longtime senator from Massachusetts.
Much of the stalwart Democratic family has rebuked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves in Trump’s Cabinet. Schlossberg in September called his cousin “a loser” and “a threat to public health and American scientific leadership.”
Among the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 12th District are state Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, as well as prominent lawyer and Trump critic George Conway.
CNN’s Dana Bash, David Wright, Annie Grayer and Eric Bradner contributed to this report.
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