Destiny or Dynasty: Inside the new class of political nepo babies vying for power
In the evolving landscape of American politics, a new wave of candidates is emerging, many of whom carry the weight of their family names as they vie for congressional seats. Among them is Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, who is making headlines as he runs for New York’s 12th Congressional District. At just 32 years old, Schlossberg is tapping into his Kennedy lineage, leveraging his social media presence—boasting nearly 850,000 TikTok followers and 770,000 Instagram followers—to connect with a younger, digitally-savvy electorate. Despite his famous surname, Schlossberg’s political résumé is relatively thin, having served as a political correspondent for Vogue and a DNC delegate in 2024, alongside a background in the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Critics, including Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff, have questioned whether his campaign is more about his heritage than his qualifications, suggesting that relying heavily on a famous name can come off as entitlement rather than genuine leadership.
Schlossberg is not alone in this pursuit of political office; other political heirs are stepping into the spotlight as well. Christine Pelosi, daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, recently announced her candidacy for a local office, opting for a grassroots approach rather than immediately seeking her mother’s congressional seat. This choice is seen as a humble move, especially given the advantages she could have drawn from her mother’s extensive campaign infrastructure. Meanwhile, Jonathan Bush, nephew of former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, has launched a gubernatorial campaign in Maine, positioning himself as a “disruptor” and emphasizing his business background. The political landscape is also seeing candidates like Stefany Shaheen, daughter of retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who is navigating the complexities of running in her mother’s shadow while also voicing her own political beliefs.
The emergence of these political heirs raises questions about nepotism versus legacy in American politics. While some candidates, like Adelita Grijalva, who recently won a special election to replace her late father, have substantial local experience that bolsters their candidacies, others face scrutiny over their perceived reliance on family connections. As the 2024 elections approach, the interplay of legacy, experience, and public perception will be pivotal in shaping the narratives of these candidates. In a political climate where authenticity is increasingly valued, the challenge for these heirs will be to prove their individual capabilities while navigating the expectations set by their family names.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQugkK1YhTI
A young member of the
Kennedy dynasty with a thin résumé
is seeking a seat in Congress. And he’s not alone among candidates who hope to keep their family name in politics. There is a slew of political heirs hoping voters see their legacies as leadership rather than nepotism.
Hollywood’s “nepo babies” took plenty of heat in 2022, when stars like Hailey Bieber and Zoë Kravitz were accused of finding success through their famous family names.
The phenomenon isn’t limited to Hollywood, and political nepotism is nothing new. Just look at former Presidents George H. W. Bush and
George W. Bush
(and now there’s another Bush on the ballot in 2026). Here’s a look at the next generation of political heirs running for office.
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As former President John F. Kennedy’s only grandson, Jack Schlossberg is practically political royalty. But to New York City’s chronically online electorate, he is better known as the star of hundreds of satirical, and often absurd, viral videos, amassing close to 850,000 TikTok followers and nearly 770,000 on Instagram.
Despite the followers and the Kennedy connections, Schlossberg has a thin résumé. He most recently served as a
political correspondent
for Vogue during the 2024 presidential election.
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“I’m Jack Schlossberg, and my grandfather, President Kennedy, is my hero,” the candidate for New York’s 12th Congressional District said in a campaign text on the day of his launch, leaning into his Kennedy roots.
”
To make the entire campaign about [being] from this super famous political dynasty with nothing else to offer is a choice,” Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff, a 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign alum, told Fox News Digital.
Schlossberg was a Democratic National Committee delegate in 2024 and worked as a staff assistant at the U.S. Department of State in 2016. He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law and Business Schools. Schlossberg is the son of former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy.
According to his LinkedIn, Schlossberg has worked for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for 12 years, first as chair of the New Frontier Award, and now as chair of the
Profiles in Courage Award
.
While the Kennedy heir is making his foray into elected office with a congressional run, House Speaker Emerita
Nancy Pelosi’s
daughter, Christine Pelosi, announced a bid for local office this week.
The former House Speaker said last week that she will retire from Congress at the end of her term, teeing up a competitive Democratic primary in an already crowded race.
As Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener is running to replace
Pelosi’s congressional seat
, her daughter is opting to run for Wiener’s open seat in 2028, or in a special election if he wins, rather than seek to fill her mother’s shoes in Congress.
While Schlossberg, at 32, jumped right into a congressional race, Shroff told Fox News Digital that “there is something humble” about Pelosi opting to run for local office first, especially when she would have had “huge, huge, huge advantages” given her mother’s campaign infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Shroff said the perception of Schlossberg’s congressional campaign reads like it’s “his inheritance to be a member of Congress” as a Kennedy.
Christine Pelosi is an author, Democratic campaign strategist, and attorney. She has chaired the California Democratic Party’s Women’s Caucus and is a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee.
Last month, Jonathan Bush, nephew of the late George H. W. Bush, launched a
gubernatorial campaign in Maine
to succeed term-limited Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine.
Earlier this year, Bush founded a podcast and advocacy group called Maine for Keeps, which he describes as a “movement to ensure the American Dream is alive and well right here in Maine.”
A health-tech entrepreneur, Bush co-founded athenahealth in 1997 and served as its CEO until 2018, when he resigned following allegations of domestic violence and sexual harassment.
On the
campaign trail
, the Republican has described himself as a “disruptor” and “job creator,” highlighting his business background as evidence he can bring innovation to state government.
Bush is a member of one of the country’s most recognizable political dynasties, but this is his first time running for public office.
Political inheritance has its perks, but it can also mean family feuds spilling into the public eye.
Democratic congressional candidate
Stefany Shaheen, who is running in a crowded primary for New Hampshire’s open U.S. House seat, is the daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
The elder Shaheen, a former governor who is retiring next year rather than seeking re-election, was one of seven Democrats who voted with Republicans to end the government shutdown last week.
But the younger Shaheen said she “cannot support” the agreement, which was brokered in part by her mother, exposing the generational divide within the Democratic Party.
Shaheen is an entrepreneur and healthcare advocate, and it’s her first time running for public office.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva
, D-Ariz., was sworn into Congress this week. Earlier this year, she won the special election to replace her late father, longtime Rep. Raúl Grijalva, after he died in March.
While Grijalva had her father’s legacy on her side in the competitive special election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, she has decades of experience serving on the
local level
.
She was most recently on the Pima County Board of Supervisors and, prior to that, she worked at Pima County Teen Court for more than 25 years, according to her campaign website.
In the special election, Grijalva faced a challenge from social media influencer and activist Deja Foxx, who was endorsed by former DNC chair David Hogg’s super PAC, Leaders We Deserve.
Since Grijalva was elected in a special election, she will have to run again in the upcoming
2026 midterms
to earn a full term in Congress.
While Grijalva most likely benefited from her family name, Shroff pointed out that her decades of experience serving Arizona gave her campaign a real litmus test.
“Family name aside, [Grijalva] was able to be evaluated by her community,” the Democratic commentator said.
When reached for comment, Grijalva told Fox News Digital that she is “the proud daughter of Raúl Grijalva — a man who spent his entire life fighting for justice, equity, and dignity for the most vulnerable.”
“While no one can fill the shoes of my dad, I stand on my own two feet in my service to the people of Southern Arizona — with 23 years in elected office and 25 years helping court-involved youth and their families through a restorative juvenile diversion program,” she said in a statement.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schlossberg, Pelosi, Bush and Shaheen for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
