Senator John Kerry has served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with honor and distinction for over two decades, and I congratulate him and his family on an exciting new chapter in a storied career.

Senator Kerry will bring the best of our country to the toughest of foreign policy landscapes. He is a consummate statesman, an unparalleled diplomat and a man with the character and expertise to lead us through the formidable global challenges we face today.

Newton, MA – Today Congressman-elect Joe Kennedy III announced the locations of his two district offices opening in January 2013. Located in Newton and Attleboro, these offices will be centers for constituent services across Massachusetts’ 4th District.

The Newton office will be located at 29 Crafts St.,which previously served as Congressman Barney Frank’s district office. The Attleboro office will be located at 8 N. Main St. and was previously utilized by Congressman Jim McGovern prior to redistricting.

“Having offices in Newton and Attleboro will ensure that my staff and I are constantly accessible to residents across the 4th District,” said Congressman-elect Kennedy. “It is a priority of mine to continue the unparalleled constituent service of Congressmen Frank and McGovern, and I’m hopeful that these offices will allow for the a seamless transition of that work.”

Additionally, Kennedy announced two key hires in his new Congressional office: Gregory Mecher will serve as Chief of Staff and Nick Clemons will serve as District Director.

“Nick and Greg will manage our new Congressional office with unmatched talent, experience and commitment to public service,” said Kennedy. “Under their leadership, this office will work every day to be effective and accessible for the residents of the 4th Congressional District.”

Mecher will bring Washington D.C. experience to Kennedy’s new office having most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the General Service Administration in the Obama Administration. Prior to that he served as Chief of Staff to former Congressman Steve Driehaus of Ohio. He has spent the past decade working for House Democrats, including former Rep. Rahm Emanuel and former Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

Clemons, who will oversee district operations, constituent services and outreach, most recently served as Kennedy’s campaign manager. Clemons has spent 15 years in New England politics, serving as a top advisor in New Hampshire for the presidential campaigns of both Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Hillary Clinton. Clemons also managed the 2010 re-election of Rep. Niki Tsongas in the 5th District of Massachusetts. He lives in Brookline, Mass. and will be based in the Newton office.

Congressman-elect Kennedy will be sworn into office on January 3, 2013 in Washington, D.C. The district offices, as well as his Capitol Hill office, will be open in early January. Details regarding office hours, contact information and other services will be announced in the near future.

Today, we pay tribute to our heroes; to the brave men and women who embody the very best of these United States.

We honor them. We honor the patriotism that lights their way. And we honor the families and communities whose eternal love and strength brings them home.

God bless our veterans, our servicemen and women, and the country they proudly defend each and every day.

Since the beginning, this campaign has been defined by a grassroots operation that refused to slow down or take one day for granted. We came together because we believe in the simple, American idea that hard work pays off; that each of us deserves the opportunity to succeed. That promise has guided me through this race and is what I will fight for every day down in Washington.

Our victory tonight is a testament to the incredible efforts of thousands of volunteers across the district that spent the past year working tirelessly for the country they believe in.

I’d like to thank my opponent, Sean Bielat for a hard-fought campaign and for his lifelong commitment to public service, and wish him and his family the best.

Tonight, I am proud to address the 4th District tonight as their next U.S. Congressman, humbled by the incredible show of support, and ready to get to work.

WELLESLEY – Joe Kennedy was joined by Vicki Reggie Kennedy, wife of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, for a “Women for Joe” campaign event at Wellesley College tonight. The event, which brought together women from across the 4th District, coincided with the release of Joe’s position paper on women’s issues.

“My opponent is fundamentally out of step with the women of the 4th District,” said Joe. “He has said he wishes Roe v. Wade wasn’t around at all. He is part of a national Republican party that wants to take away a women’s right to choose, defund women’s health services at Planned Parenthood, and block efforts to close the gender pay gap. That’s exactly the mindset we can’t afford in Washington. If elected, I will stand for—and with—the women of the 4th District and fight to guarantee that our daughters have the very same opportunities as our sons.”

Defending women’s rights is a cornerstone of Joe’s goal to fight for fairness and equality in Washington. Joe firmly believes that fighting for women means championing our working families, protecting our local communities, and strengthening our economy.

At a time when women are making up a full half of today’s workforce, Joe believes we need to do everything possible to make sure they receive fair treatment and just compensation. That includes supporting legislation like the historic Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work and have clear courses of action to hold their employers accountable to this basic standard.

Joe also supports initiatives to bring greater flexibility to the workplace for both men and women, as well as increasing access to excellent and affordable early childhood education and care. He believes that giving families the tools they need to balance their responsibilities inside and outside the office is an economic priority.

Joe considers a women’s right to choose a matter of fundamental personal liberty and will always go to battle to protect it. He will fight Republican-led attempts to limit women’s access to safe, confidential reproductive care and defund Planned Parenthood, which delivers important, life-saving services to women across the country everyday.

Joe also strongly supports the Affordable Care Act, which made unprecedented advances in women’s health coverage. In addition to making crucial services such as birth control, contraception, mammograms, and cervical cancer screenings available to women without co-pay or deductibles, the law made sure that being a woman will never be a pre-condition for health insurance.

As a former prosecutor, Joe has seen the devastating impact of domestic violence on families. He will fight to shore up legal protections against these crimes and to pass a stronger, more inclusive Violence Against Women Act.

Read Joe’s full policy paper on fighting for fairness for women.

Joe Kennedy is the Democratic nominee in the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts. In September, Joe won the Democratic primary with over 90 percent of the vote. He has held over 260 events across the 4th District, speaking directly with voters in every city and town. Out on the trail, he has stressed the importance of creating jobs, investing in education, getting our national debt under control, and bringing basic fairness back into our system. The campaign has opened five offices across the district, signed up over 4,600 volunteers, knocked on over 75,000 doors and made more than 415,000 phone calls.

Joe has also earned the endorsements of NARAL Pro-Choice America, the State Police Association of Massachusetts, the Sierra Club, the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, the SEIU state council and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

NEWTON – Joe Kennedy III received the endorsement today of his Democratic Primary opponent, Herb Robinson. Robinson, an engineer from Newton, praised Kennedy’s work ethic and commitment to fighting for middle-class families.

“I’m extremely grateful to have the support of Herb Robinson, a committed advocate for democratic values, and a longtime community activist,” said Joe. “I can’t say enough what an honor it is to have him stand with me in this race.”

“I fully support Joe as the next Congressman from the 4th District, and I am certain he is best candidate for the job,” said Robinson. “Having faced Joe in the Democratic Primary, I’ve seen firsthand how hard he works and how much he truly cares about people. He’s spent his career standing up for the underdog, and I have no doubt that he will do the same down in Washington.”

Joe Kennedy is the Democratic nominee in the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts. In September, Joe won the Democratic primary with over 90 percent of the vote. He has held over 200 events across the 4th District, speaking directly with voters in every city and town. Out on the trail, he has stressed the importance of creating jobs, investing in education, getting our national debt under control, and bringing basic fairness back into our system. The campaign has opened five offices across the district, signed up over 4,400 volunteers, knocked on over 61,000 doors and made nearly 245,000 phone calls.

Joe has also earned the endorsements of the Sierra Club, the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the SEIU state council and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

MILFORD – Congressional candidate Joe Kennedy III visited the Milford Regional Medical Center today, where he met with hospital leadership, toured the facility, and discussed ways to make sure that the 4th District remains a leader in healthcare and innovation. Representative John V. Fernandes and Barry Feingold, president of the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce, joined Joe on the visit.

“Health care centers like the Milford Regional Medical Center deliver vital, world-class services to communities across the district,” said Joe. “I believe we must do everything possible to ensure that our hospitals, community health centers, and health care professionals have the tools they need to continue delivering the quality of care that the 4th District – and the Commonwealth – is known for.”

“We’re excited that Joe took the time to visit the Milford Regional Medical Center today,” said Frank Saba, CEO of Milford Regional Medical Center. “We need leaders like Joe in Washington who understand the importance of protecting and supporting our community health centers.”

Joe firmly believes that each of us deserves access to quality, affordable health care. He supports the path set forth by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which made critical reforms to our health care system, such as ending discrimination against people with preexisting conditions, guaranteeing women access to essential health services, lessening the tax burden on small businesses who offer employee coverage, and paving the way for universal coverage.

The ACA also made important efforts to contain health care costs, which Joe believes is a priority moving forward. He supports the move toward Accountable Care Organizations and global payment systems, which will fundamentally reshape our system in a way that rewards quality of care delivered over quantity of procedures prescribed. He also believes we need to address the waste and duplicative care that currently consume as much as 30 percent of our total health care costs.

Additionally, Joe will fight to protect Medicare and Medicaid, which help deliver care to those who need it most. He opposes Republican-backed plans to turn Medicare into a voucher program and block grant Medicaid, both of which would result in drastic benefit cuts to seniors and working class families.

Finally, Joe will work to preserve the Commonwealth’s unique role as a trailblazer in all areas of the health care industry—from the exploration of innovative new technologies and the manufacturing of cutting-edge, life-saving products, to the delivery of quality care. He supports eliminating the Medical Device Excise Tax within the ACA, which disproportionately impacts an industry that is vital to the Massachusetts economy.

Read Joe’s policy paper on health care.

Joe Kennedy is the Democratic nominee in the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts. In September, Joe won the Democratic primary with over 90 percent of the vote. He has held over 260 events across the 4th District, speaking directly with voters in every city and town. Out on the trail, he has stressed the importance of creating jobs, investing in education, getting our national debt under control, and bringing basic fairness back into our system. The campaign has opened five offices across the district, signed up over 4,400 volunteers, knocked on over 61,000 doors and made more than 245,000 phone calls.

Joe has also earned the endorsements of NARAL Pro-Choice America, the State Police Association of Massachusetts, the Sierra Club, the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, the SEIU state council and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

“Tonight, you saw the real differences between my opponent and I on the issues that matter most. Our economic challenges are great, and I believe each of us must do our part to make this country prosperous again. In contrast, Sean has embraced the Ryan Budget, which tells our seniors, students and working class families that they need to sacrifice more and make do with less, all while giving the average millionaire a $400,000 a year tax cut.

The differences don’t stop there. I will always defend Medicare, Social Security and the retirement benefits our seniors have earned; he wants to privatize Social Security and end Medicare as we know it. I believe in federal investments in education, infrastructure and economic development; he wants to cut funding for these projects and leave our cities and towns to fend for themselves. I believe a woman’s right to choose is a matter of fundamental personal liberty; he wants to turn back the clock on women’s rights.

At stake in this election is the economic opportunity that has always defined the American Dream. Make no mistake: Sean’s vision for this country will cripple that opportunity for residents across the district, the Commonwealth and the country.”

NEWTON – NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC endorsed Joe Kennedy III today in the race for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District, citing his firm commitment to protecting a woman’s right to choose.

“NARAL Pro-Choice America works tirelessly to stand up for women across the country, and I am proud to stand with them,” said Joe. “I believe that a woman’s right to choose is a matter of fundamental personal liberty and I will stand up in Congress against efforts to limit access to reproductive health services. My Republican opponent is anti-choice and wants to hinder a woman’s ability to make her own health care decisions. That’s what is at stake in this election.”

“We are proud to endorse Joe Kennedy in his race for Congress today,” said NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan. “Kennedy understands the importance of strengthening and safeguarding women’s reproductive rights. He will fight against measures that limit choice and threaten our access to critical health services. We are confident that Kennedy will be a strong advocate for women’s rights in Congress.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America is a national organization made up of pro-choice women and men across the United States who work to protect a woman’s right to choose.

Joe Kennedy is the Democratic nominee in the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts. In September, Joe won the Democratic primary with over 90 percent of the vote. He has held over 260 events across the 4th District, speaking directly with voters in every city and town. Out on the trail, he has stressed the importance of creating jobs, investing in education, getting our national debt under control, and bringing basic fairness back into our system. The campaign has opened five offices across the district, signed up over 4,400 volunteers, knocked on over 61,000 doors and made more than 245,000 phone calls.

Joe has also earned the endorsements of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, the Sierra Club, the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, the SEIU state council and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

TAUNTON – Today, the State Police Association of Massachusetts endorsed Joe Kennedy III in the race for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District, citing Joe’s experience as a prosecutor, his advocacy for law enforcement, and his commitment to public safety.

“During my time in the District Attorney’s office, I worked side by side with the brave men and women in the Commonwealth’s police force,” said Joe. “I saw firsthand their dedication and their sacrifices, and I am honored to have their support in my race for Congress. We trust our law enforcement officers to keep our families and communities safe. If elected, I will fight every day to make sure they have the tools, resources, and support they need to do their job well.”

“Based on Joe’s experience as an assistant District Attorney and his stated commitment to public safety, our membership wholeheartedly believes the Commonwealth will be best served by his election to Congress,” said Dana Pullman, President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts. “Time and time again, Joe has shown himself to be a tireless advocate for our police force, willing to listen to all sides and act accordingly. Joe will bring a fresh voice to Congress—one that will build bipartisan consensus and bridge the divide between individuals and parties.”

The State Police Association of Massachusetts represents over 2,000 men and women who are regular full time employees in the titles of State Police Trooper, State Police Trooper First Class and State Police Sergeant, excluding all other personnel employed by the Department of State Police.

Joe Kennedy is the Democratic nominee in the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts. In September, Joe won the Democratic primary with over 90 percent of the vote. He has held over 260 events across the 4th District, speaking directly with voters in every city and town. Out on the trail, he has stressed the importance of creating jobs, investing in education, getting our national debt under control, and bringing basic fairness back into our system. The campaign has opened five offices across the district, signed up over 4,400 volunteers, knocked on over 61,000 doors and made more than 245,000 phone calls.

Joe has also earned the endorsements of the Sierra Club, the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, the SEIU state council and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.