JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III

I believe this country was built on a simple promise: that each of us deserves a fair shot.

Republicans aren't bad people. They've got some views that are legitimate... and I'd like to think they believe the same of me.

Elective office and public service are obviously something that have long ties with my family, and something I'm definitely interested in.

It's my name on the ballot, and it's me running this race. I'm the one doing this. Not my father and not my grandfather and not my great-uncle and not President Kennedy.

Every member of my family knows that running for office is a personal decision.

I'm extremely proud of my family's record of public service to Massachusetts and the nation.

It's really important for me to do the fundamentals of this job really, really well. And to let people know that I think the core responsibilities of a member of Congress aren't seeking the national headlines or being the spokesperson on this issue or that issue when you just get there.

My family has been around campaigns for a long time. It's something you really have to be sure that you alone want to do. Because if not, if you don't want to do it, that will just blow through the surface at some point, and people can tell. And when people can tell, it's all over.

Whether it's raising the minimum wage, fixing our broken immigration system or supporting an economic climate that gives our businesses that chance to succeed, I hope to continue to fight these important battles on behalf of my constituents.

There's an old rule of thumb in politics that 90 percent of all 90 year-olds vote and 25 percent of all 25 year-olds vote.

My decision to look seriously at elected office is grounded in a deep commitment to public service and my experience - both my own and that of my family - in finding just, practical, and bipartisan solutions to difficult challenges.

We spend billions and billions to fight drugs but, comparatively, spend nothing against alcohol. And alcohol is a drug.

America needs to be challenged.

Most people who serve in Congress just want to do the right thing.

The people of this country come first—not the institutions.

I've had a tough time learning how to act like a Congressman. Today, I actually spent some of my own money.

Politicians are just human beings. When there is a degree of very personal pain that one feels towards an issue ..., the commitment level is higher and the willingness to compromise is lower.

Man, you could make a lot of friends real fast on those supercommittees.

There is nothing so humbling as being a parent to young children!

What will get you elected through a tough election cycle and what will get you kicked out when you should have won is whether your constituents feel like their Member of Congress respects them or not.

I realize that some folks might not believe me in this - I didn't run for Congress on the hopes that one day you're going to run for something else.

There are ways that we, as a society, the laws that we write and the contracts we build, can try to actually increase people's ability to reap the reward from their own potential. But we put barriers in front of them.

Your ally today could be your adversary tomorrow and your ally the next day. Work hard, be polite, be respectful, and don't take it personally.

People think my family pushed me into running for office. The person who pushed me most not to run for office was my father.

I have worked very, very hard over the course of my time in Congress to make sure that everybody does get access to quality, affordable, accessible health care.