Joseph P. Kennedy III, grandson of the late U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, has confirmed his intention to explore running for the 4th Congressional District seat.

Over the last two weeks there had been rumors that Joseph P. Kennedy III would consider running for the position being vacated by retiring Rep. Barney Frank who announced in November he would not run for re-election after more than three decades in Congress.

On Thursday, Kennedy issued a press release announcing his intention to leave his job at the Middlesex District Attorney's Office by the end of January, according to reports in the Cape Cod Times. Over the coming weeks he intends to meet with residents of the District before deciding conclusively.

-------------------

Read more:

More new on US politics from IrishCentral

Effin hell - Limerick parish is finally on the Facebook map as Kennedy celebrates win

Scotch-Irish will no longer be included in official US census figures

-------------------

His statement read “I look forward to reaching out to the residents of the Fourth District over the coming weeks, and I will look back on my work as an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County – and before then, in Barnstable County – with great appreciation for the dedication of my colleagues and their commitment to equal justice under law.”

He added, “I loved my work in the courts and will remember its lessons as I seek the counsel of the citizens of the Fourth District.”

Explaining his decision to consider running for office, Kennedy said that fairness, “the foundation of America's social compact, seems to be in short supply these days. We wage war, pass skewed tax breaks, and expand benefits by spendthrift borrowing, saddling the next generation of Americans with unsustainable debt. Then when it comes time to restoring fiscal sanity to our budget, we see the middle class and the poor take the hit while the wealthy get more tax breaks."

The young Assistant DA continued by saying a “lack of common sense and fairness in Washington is a byproduct of the partisan gridlock that has turned obstruction into victory.”

Kennedy (31) had two years experience as an assistant district attorney in the Cape Cod and Island’s District Attorney’s Office, before he began working for the Middlesex DA. He started his career in this office in 2008.

In the past, the Middlesex County DA’s office has produced Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. They both served as prosecutors in Middlesex County.

Joseph P. Kennedy III will be the latest in a long line of Kennedys to serve public office. However, currently there are no Kennedys in public office.

Here’s Fox News’ report on the latest news:

-------------------

Read more:

More new on US politics from IrishCentral

Effin hell - Limerick parish is finally on the Facebook map as Kennedy celebrates win

Scotch-Irish will no longer be included in official US census figures

-------------------