Kennedy scion wins race for Congress

Democrat Joseph Kennedy III has become the first member of his generation in his famous family to win a seat in Congress.

The former county prosecutor and Peace Corps volunteer is the son of former congressman Joseph Kennedy II and grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. senator and attorney general.

The younger Kennedy, 32, defeated Republican Sean Bielat in Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District, which is open because of the retirement of Democratic Rep. Barney Frank.

Bielat, a businessman and U.S. Marine, ran for a second time after losing to Frank in 2010. Although the district was redrawn to include more conservative communities, it is still a Democratic stronghold.

The 112th Congress marked the first time in nearly five decades that no member of the Kennedy family served in the House or Senate. Kennedy and his twin, Matthew, ran their great-uncle Edward's last Senate race in 2006. Edward Kennedy died in 2009.