Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg insists being from America's most famous political family doesn't give him any advantage at all as he runs for Congress

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 03:02, 5 April 2026 | Updated: 03:05, 5 April 2026 Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg has insisted that his political career is not helped by being a scion of one of the most famous and powerful dynasties in America.  The 33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy is running for a hotly-contested Congressional seat in Manhattan, with recent polls showing he has taken a surprise lead.  Schlossberg's campaign received an unexpected boost from the popularity of the hit TV show 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,' which brought renewed public interest in his family when it launched in February.  The political heir has previously criticized the show, saying the creators 'know nothing' about the Kennedy saga, even as many credit it with generating buzz around his candidacy.  In a new interview with the Associated Press, Schlossberg again attempted to downplay his family name's importance to his early success, insisting that hype around his campaign is all organic.  'They don’t just like me because I’m a Kennedy. Ask them how they feel about RFK Jr.,' he said, citing his Trump cabinet member first cousin Robert F Kennedy Jr.  'They like me because of my experience, my ideas and they trust me because they see what’s going on with their very own eyes.'  While critics say Schlossberg lacks the necessary experience to serve in Congress, his candidacy has picked up several high-profile endorsements including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg has insisted that his political career is not being helped by being a scion of one of the most famous and powerful dynasties in America Schlossberg has attracted backlash in the past for outlandish and sometimes crude remarks, including telling Megyn Kelly to show her genitals after she shared a video criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu.  Despite some slating his candidacy, Schlossberg has taken the lead in the race for New York's prized 12th congressional district, which comprises much of midtown Manhattan, according to the most recent poll.  The poll, commissioned by one of his chief opponents, attorney and commentator George Conway, Schlossberg led with 25 percent to Conway's 16 percent support.  He is also facing off against New York Assembly Members Micah Lasher and Alex Bores for the House seat, with both registering 11 percent in the poll, per Patch.com.  Schlossberg has attempted to spin his lack of political or business experience into a positive, painting himself as an outsider with a large social media following who can excite young voters.  'I’m the only one who has engaged millions of people on a progressive and aggressive political message,' he said in his recent AP interview. 'I’m not just an influencer who’s hawking products. I make informative videos.'  These informative videos have included Schlossberg donning a blonde wig to mock First Lady Melania Trump's letter to Vladimir Putin in November 2025, ridiculing her European accent.  Schlossberg's campaign received an unexpected boost from the popularity of the hit TV show 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,' which brought renewed public interest in his family Schlossberg has attempted to spin his lack of political or business experience into a positive, painting himself as an outsider with a large social media following who can excite young voters The Kennedy heir has captured headlines in the past with for outlandish and sometimes crude remarks, including donning a blonde wig to mock First Lady Melania Trump's letter to Vladimir Putin in November 2025, ridiculing her European accent After launching his campaign at the end of last year, Schlossberg's candidacy and name recognition surged thanks to the hit Love Story show about his famous uncle.  The FX anthology series Love Story, which premiered last month, follows the romance of JFK Jr. and wife Carolyn Bessette, depicting both the highs and lows of their marriage up until their tragic deaths in 1999 from a fatal plane crash.  But Schlossberg has made no secret of the fact he is not a fan of the show, as he unleashed a furious tirade on show creator Ryan Murphy for using his family as a cash cow weeks ago.  He told CBS Sunday Morning that the show was a 'grotesque display of someone else's life', and said Murphy 'knows nothing' about his family. 'If you want to know someone who's never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy,' he said. 'I want people who watch it to watch it with one letter in mind and that's a capital F, for fiction. 'The guy knows nothing about what he's talking about, and he's making a ton of money on a grotesque display of someone else's life... This is not a documentary.' Despite a lack of political experience, Schlossberg has won several high-profile endorsements including Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and has appeared in videos with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer  Even as he criticized the show, Schlossberg hasn't entirely distanced himself from the hype around the series, and also used it for a social media political promo last month.  He shared a series of images of himself next to JFK Jr to his Instagram, claiming he's 'hotter' than his famous uncle.  While Schlossberg has tried to downplay the importance of his family name, his opponent Conway slammed the Kennedy heir and said it was his only source of support.  'There’s something very appealing about a young, fresh face and I think he’s very smart to play that up,' Conway said.  '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.'   The comments below have not been moderated. 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