Rep Patrick Kennedy says his life is taking a new direction and he will not be running for re-election.
Rep Patrick Kennedy eulogy for father (video/text)
Video statement
[hand transcribed]
REP PATRICK KENNEDY:
My father instilled in me a deep commitment to public service, whether through elected office like he and his brothers or through nonprofit advocacy like my Aunt Eunice’s work with Special Olympics.
Now having spent two decades in politics, my life is taking a new direction, and I will not be a candidate for re-election this year.
Going forward, I will continue many of the fights we’ve waged together, particularly on behalf of those suffering from depression and addiction, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.
I am so grateful to the people of Rhode Island. When I made missteps or suffered setbacks, you responded not with contempt, but compassion….
To those who treated me like a son or grandson, thank you for your faith and unconditional support.
To those who stood by me like a brother, thank you for all the times you lifted me up, pushed me forward, and filled my heart with hope. By standing on your shoulders, I was able to do more to advance my family’s fight for social justovr and more for our great state than I ever thought was possible.
Quotes from ‘Patrick Kennedy: Don’t Count the Kennedy’s out by the Golbe’s John R. Ellement, Eric Moskowitz, and Martin Finucane
I wouldn’t count us out for good, you know.
It’s just been a personal decision to follow a different path in life. I think people just reach a point in their life where they choose to go a different direction. It’s really nothing more complicated than that.
It’s pretty simple in this respect: I went through something that caused me a great deal of soul searching and self-reflection. Right now, a personal life is of greater value. Emotional connections that are real and loving and personal just trump everything else. Something like that forces you to have reconsideration of what’s really important in your life.
His service to RI vs his personal life:
I would’t have changed a thing in terms of my service in politics because it really gave me a great opportunity to feel of service, but I also know that having those personal relationships are very important, too, and they take time and they take investment. And I want to make those investments and spend that time developing those relationships. So there’s that chance now that I have in the future to do that kind of thing.
Good article about Patrick Kennedy the man at the Boston Globe by Brian McGrory; Patrick Kennedy was never a typical Kennedy
