Edward M. Kennedy Jr.

Edward Moore Kennedy Jr. was born on September 26, 1961, in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He is the son of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and Joan Bennett Kennedy. Kennedy comes from a prominent political family; he is a nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

In 1973, Kennedy was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, affecting his right leg. Despite chemotherapy treatments, the cancer persisted, leading to the surgical amputation of his right leg on November 17, 1973. On that day, his father was attending his niece Kathleen's wedding and returned to the hospital shortly after Kennedy's surgery. The event was later depicted in the 1986 made-for-TV movie "The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story."

In 1982, Kennedy's mother publicly stated that he narrowly missed being aboard Air Florida Flight 90, which crashed into the Potomac River on January 13, 1982, killing 74 people. Kennedy was delayed en route to the airport and did not board the flight.

Kennedy completed his secondary education at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University in 1984 and a master's degree from Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He later attended the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he obtained a Juris Doctor degree. In 2013, Kennedy received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of New Haven.

Professionally, Kennedy initially worked at the Wiggin & Dana law firm in New Haven, Connecticut, focusing on disability issues. He subsequently co-founded and served as president of the Marwood Group, a consultancy advising corporations on healthcare and financial services. In 2014, Kennedy joined Epstein Becker & Green, a law firm based in New York City, where he advises healthcare providers, insurers, and life sciences companies on issues related to healthcare reform. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

Kennedy entered politics when he announced his candidacy for Connecticut's 12th State Senate district on April 8, 2014. He was elected to the Connecticut State Senate that November and was re-elected in 2016. During his time in office, he served on several committees, including the Environment (as co-chair), Public Health, and Transportation, and he was the Deputy Majority Leader. Kennedy announced in 2018 that he would not seek re-election or run for governor.

He was first sworn into the Connecticut State Senate on January 7, 2015. He served until 2019, when Democrat Christine Cohen succeeded him following the election held on November 6, 2018.

In his personal life, Kennedy married Katherine Anne "Kiki" Gershman on October 10, 1993. Gershman is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and an environmental advocate. They reside in Branford, Connecticut. The couple has two children: a daughter, Kiley Elizabeth Kennedy, born on August 7, 1994, who is a competitive snowboarder and a graduate of Wesleyan University, and a son, Edward Moore Kennedy III, born on February 26, 1998, who attended Choate Rosemary Hall and graduated from Wesleyan University.

Kennedy delivered a eulogy at his father's funeral on August 29, 2009.