Patrick Kennedy won’t run for re-election

Patrick Kennedy, the Rhode Island Congressman, confirmed that he was not going to run for the re-election. Insisting to keep his walk-out from the political scenario low profile, Kennedy announced his decision in Providence, away from the glare of the Washington press.

What made him quit
After the news about his decision to quit broke, Kennedy did a series of TV interviews in Providence. Keeping the mood light, he said that the decision was taken because he thought “it was simply time for a change.”

“People who know me or know my political history know that I’ve faced a lot more difficult political obstacles than anything I’m facing now. People in this state have been with me through very big ups and downs. . . . That wouldn’t have been a problem,” he said.

Kennedy brushed aside speculations of the fear of losing the re-election as the reason behind his decision and said that this time he was short of the “fire in the belly” required for a campaign.

He also said that election of a Republican to the Senate seat left vacant after his father Senator Ted Kennedy’s death was in no way a referendum on the Kennedys or the Democrats.

A personal call
Patrick Kennedy made it evident that his decision was more personal than political.

Talking about the trauma he is going through after losing his father, Kennedy said, “There’s no doubt that I’m carrying a lot of grief and feelings that I think occupy a lot of my emotional energy. And right now you need to be able to give everything.”

“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,” he added.

Mentioning that he still had eight months left in office, he said, “And right now I want to focus on delivering for this state, and I know I can do that for the next eight months.”

Kennedy started young
Patrick Kennedy was the youngest member of the Kennedy family to have entered active politics and hold an office. At age 21, he was elected to Rhode Island House of representatives and has won elections time after time despite being caught up in challenges and controversies.

He planned to announce his decision to quit the political race in a two-minute advertisement that was scheduled to be aired before “60 Minutes” on Sunday. Of course, the announcement led to a surge of speculations about who would fill in his shoes.