Video: Could another Kennedy be headed to Congress?

>> on "today" on the trail, a congressional battle in massachusetts featuring a very familiar name. could another kennedy be headed to congress? nbc's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell is in newton, massachusetts this morning. kelly, good morning to you.

>> reporter: and good morning, savannah. for the last 65 years, nearly all of that time, a member of the kennedy family has served in national office. that ended with the passing of ted kennedy and his son patrick choosing to leave congress. but now a new generation has stepped forward. this is the campaign headquarters for another kennedy running for congress. in massachusetts politics, he's no ordinary joe .

>> oh, my god, it's joe kennedy on my front doorstep. hi!

>> how are you doing?

>> reporter: going door to door in the rain sunday, he bears both a family resemblance and a weighty family legacy.

>> where do you sit --

>> my grandfather was robert kennedy .

>> reporter: he is joseph p. kennedy iii, the grandson turns 32 this week.

>> this is me and i'm running this race and hopefully over the course of the campaign, you build up the -- you have the opportunity to really ask voters for their trust and earn their respect and hopefully their support and eventually their vote.

>> reporter: kennedy is a harvard law grad, former assistant p.a., and peace corps volunteer. and now representing suburban boston in congress. the republican challenger, 37-year-old sean belot, is an ivy league educated marine.

>> i have a decade in business.

>> reporter: in a debate sunday, belot argued kennedy isn't ready and is coasting on the family coast tails.

>> i don't think any other district in the country people would consider you qualified for this office.

>> i've got a sizeable record of public service .

>> reporter: joe , who introduced a tribute to ted kennedy at the democratic convention .

>> for my uncle kennedy , politics was always about people.

>> reporter: he says he knows his name comes with benefits.

>> it's certainly an advantage, i'm very proud of my family's history of public service .

>> reporter: spanning six decades of fabled and at times flawed history. jfk went to congress in 1947 , before the camelot days of the white house . bobby and ted served in the senate. their sons, joe and patrick, in the house. and now it's joe 's son who is on the ballot. and getting a boost from his grandmother, ethel.

>> she has been out on a number of campaign stops for me, which is always amazing for me. because not only -- she is probably the best retail politician i've ever met. she is a pro.

>> reporter: and ethel kennedy now 84 years old and that kennedy family name has helped raise a lot of money, more than $2.5 million, quite a bit more than his opponent. and, of course, that will be a factor in this race. not much polling in this, savannah, but many people here think the kennedy name will really care him. savannah?

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49237997/

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