JFK's grandson Jack Schlossberg joins race for Manhattan congressional district

Nacha Cattan, Bloomberg News on Nov 12, 2025

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Jack Schlossberg, the 32-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, announced his bid for Congress, entering the race for a seat being vacated by veteran Manhattan lawmaker Jerry Nadler.

Schlossberg will seek the Democratic nomination for New York’s 12th District, which encompasses the Upper West Side, Upper East Side and Midtown Manhattan. Nadler, 78, has announced that he won’t seek reelection for the job, which will be contested next year.

Schlossberg, who worked as a political reporter for Vogue after graduating from Harvard’s law school, said in a statement Wednesday that he’s running on a platform of fighting corruption and addressing a cost-of-living crisis. He also took aim at President Donald Trump’s decision to send troops into U.S. cities.

“The future of our country is at stake,” Schlossberg said in the statement. “The Democratic party must win back the House of Representatives and elect a new generation of leaders.”

Schlossberg will compete with former Nadler aide Micah Lasher, an Assembly member representing the Upper West Side, who is considered one of the leading contenders. West Side City Council member Erik Bottcher is also considering a run for the seat, and speculation has mounted that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may also join the contest after his failed mayoral bid.

Cuomo’s spokesman has denied the reports, calling them a “fever dream.”

New York’s 12th Congressional District was redrawn in 2022 after New York lost congressional seats in the post-2020 census redistricting. The district is reliably blue: The Cook Political report rated it as the most Democratic district in New York.

While Schlossberg lacks political experience, he’s drawn a strong social media following for his commentary, satire and stunts. A frequent target of his criticism is his cousin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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(With assistance from Laura Nahmias.)