Kennedy Wins 4th District Race To Replace Rep. Frank

A Kennedy will once again represent Massachusetts voters in Congress.

On Tuesday, Joseph Kennedy III defeated Republican Sean Bielat to win the seat vacated by Democratic U.S. Rep. Barney Frank in the 4th Congressional District.

'The Streak Continues'

Apply a black and white filter to photos from Tuesday night and you might do a double-take. That face — that Kennedy look — is headed back to Washington.

Kennedy, the 32-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy and son of Joseph P. Kennedy II, easily won his first run for political office.

"I am humbled, I am grateful and I am ready to get to work," Kennedy said in his acceptance speech. "Thank you, guys!"

Kennedy won more than 60 percent of the vote to defeat Bielat. The Republican businessman was taking a second consecutive stab at winning the district.

"I’m running as a Republican in a fairly Democratic state. I’m running against a Kennedy. Kennedys have never lost in Massachusetts. The streak continues, I guess," Bielat said Tuesday.

Kennedy says he won on his message, not his name. But the fellow Democrat he’ll be succeeding on Capitol Hill, Frank, says that famous name will make the freshman congressman stand out.

"Frankly, he does have a certain national stature by virtue of the family’s distinguished history," Frank said. "And he’ll use that to the advantage of the district."

The district Kennedy will be representing stretches from Brookline to New Bedford.

This post was updated with Morning Edition feature content.