Edward J. Kennedy is a lifelong resident of Lowell. He was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in November 2018 and represents the First Middlesex District, which includes the City of Lowell and the towns of Dracut, Dunstable, Pepperell, and Tyngsboro.   

A graduate of Boston University, Senator Kennedy also holds a Master’s of Public Administration from Framingham State University.   

He began his political career when he won a seat on the Lowell City Council in 1977, at the age of 26. He served four terms on the Council from 1978-1985.

In 1989 Senator Kennedy was elected to be a Commissioner of Middlesex County. He served in that capacity from 1989-1996.

He returned to the Lowell City Council in 2012 and served as Mayor of Lowell from 2016 to 2017.

As a City Councilor, Senator Kennedy served as the City’s representative for the Northern Middlesex Area Commission. Before being elected to the Senate, he worked as a commercial real estate appraiser. He is currently a member of the Democratic State Committee, the Sierra Club, and the Appalachian Mountain Club.   

As the State Senator for the First Middlesex District, Senator Kennedy has been a leader in numerous key areas including education, COVID-19 recovery, cultural development, firearm safety, and environmental sustainability. As the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets, Senator Kennedy has been a leading voice of major legislation this term, including Housing, Transportation, Economic Development, and IT Infrastructure Bond Bills. 

Senator Kennedy’s tenure has been characterized by several notable accomplishments. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Kennedy filed a bill to reimburse school districts facing COVID-era cost materials, which was incorporated into the 2024 budget and allowed for an investment of $100 million for the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). While serving on the COVID-19 Cultural Impact Commission as part of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, Senator Kennedy was instrumental in securing one of the largest-ever investments in the Massachusetts Cultural Council at $51 Million. In the 193rd session, Senator Kennedy introduced a bill that mandates that shooting at dwellings is a felony, which was passed as part of the An Act Modernizing Firearms Law. 

In Addition to being the Senate Chair on the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets, Senator Kennedy is Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, and is a member of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and ProfessionalLicensure, the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, the Joint Committee on Higher Education, and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development.