Schlossberg, the 33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is entering a June Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat in Manhattan, where a crowded field is already competing for the same prize. The Associated Press reports that his launch campaign in New York City late last year amplified a familiar Kennedy connection—and also a different kind of publicity: a hit TV series about his family that has helped keep interest in the clan alive among younger viewers.
The attention around “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” has become part of the storyline around Schlossberg, even as he tries to draw a line between inherited name recognition and what he says is his own case to voters. The AP reported that Schlossberg, whose full name is John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, said the response to him is more rooted in what he argues than in who he is. “They don’t just like me because I’m a Kennedy. Ask them how they feel about RFK Jr.,” he said, adding that people “like me because of my experience, my ideas and they trust me because they see what’s going on with their very own eyes.”
Schlossberg’s rise to prominence has also been shaped by his social media profile and his political messaging, according to the AP. The report said he has attacked his cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as part of his online presence and has appeared at times as a high-energy, youth-oriented figure moving through the national Democratic scene. In one example cited by the AP in August, he posted a video in which he read a letter first lady Melania Trump wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin while wearing a blonde wig.
Critics of the campaign have focused on a different vulnerability: that Schlossberg has not held public office. In the AP report, George Arzt, a longtime Democratic political consultant in the city, said he does not believe the combination of Kennedy ties and the “Love Story” wave necessarily converts into votes. “I don’t think that gets you votes,” Arzt said, describing the concern that voters might ask who Schlossberg is and then look for a more substantial record than family branding.
Schlossberg has sought to rebut the argument by emphasizing credentials and experience outside elective office. The AP reported that he pointed to a stint at the State Department’s environmental bureau, his joint law and business degree from Harvard, and the political opinion pieces he wrote for Vogue. He also said his online outreach is not merely influence-for-influence’s-sake, telling the AP, “I’m the only one who has engaged millions of people on a progressive and aggressive political message,” and adding, “I’m not just an influencer who’s hawking products. I make informative videos.”
The AP report also described how media-fueled fascination with the Kennedy family has played out in public spaces and campaign visuals. It said that spots where Schlossberg’s aunt and uncle dined and hung out drew viewers of the show, and that a crowd gathered in Washington Square Park for a JFK Jr. look-alike contest, with young men dressing to mimic his style. The report further said Schlossberg recreated JFK Jr.’s look in a photo on his campaign website—riding a bike in suit and tie with a backward cap and a heavy chain bicycle lock—posted before the series debuted.
In addition to the attention Schlossberg has drawn, the AP report placed his candidacy in the context of a substantive campaign battle among multiple Democrats. With the district’s current representative, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, retiring, his endorsement went to a former aide, Micah Lasher, the AP said. Lasher is described as a state Assemblymember who casts himself as a seasoned, serious candidate, and the AP reported he said, “The voters of this district are highly informed voters. They do their homework before they make their decisions.”
Other candidates have also entered the contest. The AP reported that state Assemblymember Alex Bores is running and has picked up local endorsements, including support from former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney. It also said George Conway—a lawyer and former husband of Kellyanne Conway who has been a vocal antagonist of President Donald Trump—joined the race earlier this year as a Democrat. Conway told the AP he thinks Schlossberg has an advantage with his family name and the “Love Story” buzz, but Conway also argued that voters ultimately will choose someone with more experience. “There’s something very appealing about a young, fresh face and I think he’s very smart to play that up,” Conway said, then added, “But I also think there’s something to be said for an older, experienced fresh face and that’s what I’m trying to be.”