Patrick Joseph Kennedy II (born July 14, 1967) is an American politician and mental health advocate.
From 1995 to 2011, he served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 1st congressional district.
He is the founder of the Kennedy Forum, a former member of the President's Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, and co-founder of One Mind.
A member of the Kennedy family, he is the youngest child and second son of the long-time Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and is a nephew of former U.S.
President John F.
Kennedy.
At the time of his father's 2009 death, Patrick was the last remaining member of the Kennedy family to serve in an elective office in Washington.
After he chose not to seek re-election in 2010 and left office the following year, it was the first time that no member of the Kennedy family held elected office since 1947.