Kennedy family political dynasty falls with hunky Jack Schlossberg's crushing defeat

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 03:12, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 03:27, 24 June 2026 Jack Kennedy Schlossberg turned out to be no Jack Kennedy. The grandson of the famed president lost his maiden run for public office Tuesday, falling in the Democratic primary in New York City's 12th Congressional district, which encompasses the wealth and glamour of midtown Manhattan. But Schlossberg's fame, status and cover boy good looks did not translate into votes.  On Tuesday night Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, both New York State Representatives, were the top two finishers in the race while Lasher was declared the winner by the Associated Press just past 10pm. Lasher worked for both former mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as outgoing Congressman Jerry Nadler, who both endorsed him in the contest. Schlossberg, a 33-year-old political nepo-baby with over 800 thousand followers on Instagram and TikTok attempted to leverage his social media prowess into political muscle. But it turns out New Yorkers favored traditional experience over celebrity virality.  At his watch party at the Cutting Room, Schlossberg quoted the most famous Kennedy, noting, 'All of us ask not what our country can do,' but added his own spin, closing out with, 'but what we can do to help our city.' Jack Schlossberg on CBS Sunday Morning  Jack Schlossberg, seen in an image on his instagram account Schlossberg, whose full name is John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, is the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, and the son of his only living daughter, Caroline Kennedy. The Kennedy descendant pursued the congressional district left vacant by the retirement announcement of longtime Democrat Representative Jerrold Nadler. Yet, despite his name, he was unable to capture the support of a significant number of voters in his district. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Schlossberg said that if he can't win, 'then nobody can.' Schlossberg, a graduate of both Harvard and Yale, and has been active in progressive politics, as well as the media. Yet, his work experience appeared to be limited. When he was hired as a political correspondent at Vogue last year, he penned just seven articles. Schlossberg spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and frequently criticizes his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who presently serves as President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services secretary. He has even made headlines making fun of Secretary Kennedy's wife, Cheryl Hines. 'I have never met Cheryl Hines but if I did I'd tell her she looks super dehydrated,' Schlossberg, 33, wrote on X in a post last July that went viral. He has also clashed frequently with President Donald Trump, and even went after him when Trump added his name to the front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.  The center has now been returned to just bearing Kennedy's name, but after Trump put his name on the building, Schlossberg saw the renaming as a direct attack on him. 'Trump explicitly motivated to act by JACK FOR NEW YORK,' read a message posted by his campaign on X, adding that his run for office 'represents everything Trump can't stand or defeat.' One Schlossberg voter who spoke with the Daily Mail on Tuesday said she was supporting him because America's electoral system needs 'new young fresh votes.' Democratic congressional candidate Jack Schlossberg speaks during an election night watch party Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York Democratic congressional candidate Jack Schlossberg and his mother Caroline Kennedy arrive greets supports upon arrival for an election night watch party Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York Democratic congressional candidate Jack Schlossberg speaks during an election night watch party Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York She said there's a need for politicians who are 'unfiltered by PAC money, or not influenced by PAC money.' 'I am just so sick and tired of the money that goes into these elections, that discourages people who actually have something to contribute - energy, fresh ideas - from entering the race,' she added. Schlossberg did not take any PAC money in the race, while one of his opponents Alex Bores had been backed by $16.4 million in outside spending, and Tuesday's winner Micah Lasher was backed by another $10.6 million. 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