Kennedy wins race to replace Rep. Frank

BOSTON (AP/WPRI) -- There will be a Kennedy in Congress again as Democrat Joseph Kennedy III has beaten Republican businessman Sean Bielat in the race to replace retiring Democrat Barney Frank.

The 31-year-old Kennedy is the first of his generation in his famous political family to seek elected office.

The Brookline resident is the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy and son of Joseph P. Kennedy II, who represented the state's 8th Congressional District. He graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He served in the Peace Corps and worked as a prosecutor.

In 2006 he and his twin brother managed the final U.S. Senate campaign of their great-uncle Edward Kennedy, who died in 2009.

Kennedy will represent the 4th District, extending from the Boston suburbs of Newton and Brookline to part of Fall River in the south.

He issued the following statement after his victory was announced: "Since the beginning, this campaign has been defined by a grassroots operation that refused to slow down or take one day for granted. We came together because we believe in the simple, American idea that hard work pays off; that each of us deserves the opportunity to succeed. That promise has guided me through this race and is what I will fight for every day down in Washington. Our victory tonight is a testament to the incredible efforts of thousands of volunteers across the district that spent the past year working tirelessly for the country they believe in. I’d like to thank my opponent, Sean Bielat for a hard-fought campaign and for his lifelong commitment to public service, and wish him and his family the best. Tonight, I am proud to address the 4th District tonight as their next U.S. Congressman, humbled by the incredible show of support, and ready to get to work."