NEWTON, Mass., Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Joseph P. Kennedy III began his U.S. House candidacy Thursday, saying his family's public service taught him "trust must be earned each and every day."
Kennedy, the son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, formally announced his candidacy in a video released Thursday morning, The Boston Globe reported.
He pledged to rebuild infrastructure, foster job growth and a "21st-century" energy policy and ease the middle-class tax burden.
Kennedy, 31, who is vying for the seat being vacated by U.S. Representative Barney Frank, a Democrat, after 32 years in Congress, greeted voters at a subway stop in Newton outside Boston.
"My family has had the great privilege of serving Massachusetts before," Kennedy said. "They taught me that public service is an honor, given in trust, and that trust must be earned each and every day. That's exactly what I intend to do."
Kennedy cited his experience as an assistant district attorney, saying he fought for "fairness in the courtroom," his advocacy for low-income residents while at Harvard Law School and his service as a Peace Corps volunteer.
A University of Massachusetts/Boston Herald poll said Kennedy holds a big lead over Republican candidates Sean Bielat and Elizabeth Child's.
