Patrick J. Kennedy

Patrick was named after his paternal great-grandfather, businessman and politician Patrick Joseph Kennedy (1858–1929).

Kennedy was among the founders of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus and the 21st Century Healthcare Caucus and served as vice chairman of the Native American Caucus.

He also joined the Congressional Boating Caucus; the Caucus on Armenian Issues; the Caucus on Hellenic Issues; the Fire Services Caucus; the Human Rights Caucus; the Travel and Tourism Caucus; the National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus; the Portuguese American Caucus (co-chair); and the Older American Caucus.

He is the youngest of three children born to Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (1932–2009) (brother of John F. Kennedy) and musician/socialite/former model Virginia Joan Kennedy, née Bennett (born 1936).

His sister Kara (1960–2011) was a television and film producer, while his brother, Ted, Jr. (born 1961), is a lawyer and former member of the Connecticut State Senate.

Patrick Joseph Kennedy II (born July 14, 1967) is an American retired politician and mental health advocate.

Kennedy graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts (1986), and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island (1991).

While a junior at Providence College, Kennedy defeated five-term incumbent John F. Skeffington, Jr., for the Democratic nomination in District 9.

In 1988, Kennedy became the youngest member of the Kennedy family to hold elected office, when he won election to the Rhode Island House of Representatives at age 21.

He served two terms in the House representing District 9 in Providence.

He chose not to run for a third term and was succeeded by Anastasia P. Williams.

He was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1989, becoming the youngest member of the Kennedy family to hold elected office.

He was then elected to represent Rhode Island's 1st congressional district.

In 1994, Kennedy was elected as a Democrat to represent Rhode Island's 1st congressional district.

Kennedy campaigned for the seat being vacated by U.S. Representative Ronald Machtley (who was retiring) in the 1994 Rhode Island 1st congressional district election.

He won the election, defeating Republican candidate Kevin Vigilante.

Kennedy was one of four Democrats in the 1994 congressional elections to win a congressional seat that had previously been held by a Republican, while Republicans gained dozens of seats to take over the U.S. House.

From 1995 to 2011, he served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 1st congressional district, and was the first Generation X member of congress when he was elected in 1995.

He is a former member of the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission and a co-founder of One Mind, a mental health nonprofit.

Born and raised in Boston, he is the youngest child and second son of the long-time Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, and is a nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Kennedy graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College.

He was re-elected, serving from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 2011 (the 104th to 111th Congresses).

In the House, Kennedy served on the Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees before being appointed to the Appropriations Committee.

He was re-elected seven times, serving from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 2011 (the 104th to 111th Congresses).

In the House, Kennedy served on the Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees before being appointed to the Appropriations Committee.

He was re-elected every two years from 1996 until 2008 and did not run for re-election in 2010.

He was a founder of the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse and chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for two years (1999-2001).

During his tenure as DCCC chairman, Kennedy became a headliner at Democratic political events and fundraisers around the country.

In 2000, Kennedy considered running against Republican Lincoln Chafee in the U.S. Senate election in Rhode Island but instead chose to run for re-election.

Kennedy had recently won appointment to the House Appropriations Committee, a high-profile assignment that caused him to pass up the Senate race.

He again considered running against Chafee in 2006 but instead chose to run for re-election.

Kennedy was lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which passed on October 3, 2008.

Kennedy authored and co-sponsored the Positive Aging Act, the Foundations for Learning Act, which established a grant program to improve mental and emotional health for school children through screening and early intervention, the National Neurotechnology Initiative Act, Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act; the COMBAT PTSD Act; the Nurse-Family Partnership Act, the Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act, and the Ready, Willing, and Able Act

At the time of his father's death in late August 2009, Patrick was the last remaining member of the Kennedy family to serve in an elective office in Washington.

After he chose not to seek re-election in 2010 and left office the following year, it was the first time that no member of the Kennedy family held elected office since 1947.

The Kennedys' absence in politics was temporary, however, and following the next mid-term election, Joe Kennedy III would be elected to Congress and Caroline Kennedy would be appointed to an ambassadorship.

Patrick Kennedy was born at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston.

Kennedy did not run for re-election in 2010 and completed his final term in January 2011.

He finished his 8th term at the completion of the 111th United States Congress.

Since leaving Congress, Kennedy has written and spoken publicly about his long struggle with bipolar disorder and drug addiction and become a leading advocate for a stronger mental health care system in the United States.