John Kennedy
U.S. Senate · LA · Republicans · since 2023
alsoCandidate for U.S. Senate · LA
Biography
Overview
John Kennedy is the junior U.S. Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party, serving since 2017. Born in Mississippi in 1951, Kennedy is an attorney with degrees from Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia School of Law, and Oxford University. Before his Senate election, he served as Louisiana State Treasurer from 2000 to 2017 and held positions in state government including Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue and special counsel to Governor Buddy Roemer. Kennedy initially ran for Senate as a Democrat in 2004 and 2008 before switching parties in 2007 and winning his Senate seat in 2016.
Career
As Louisiana State Treasurer, Kennedy returned $400 million in unclaimed property to 600,000 residents and saved the state over $600 million through debt refinancing. He expanded the state's 529 college savings plan and advocated for taxpayer protections. In the Senate, Kennedy has passed bills including the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, the Rural Business Investment Program Advisers Relief Act, disaster loan assistance measures, and the National Flood Insurance Program extension. He famously questioned unqualified judicial nominees and succeeded in getting three Trump court nominees' names withdrawn. He also helped draft the Water Resources Development Act of 2020.
Prior political experience
Kennedy was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, winning the jungle primary and defeating Democrat Foster Campbell 61% to 39% in a December runoff. He was reelected in 2022 with 62% of the vote in an open primary, defeating 12 opponents and avoiding a runoff. Before his Senate elections, Kennedy ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2004 and 2008 as a Democrat, losing to Republican David Vitter in 2004 and to incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu in 2008. As Louisiana State Treasurer, Kennedy was elected in 1999 with 55.6% of the vote, then reelected without opposition in 2003, 2007, and 2011, and reelected with 80% in 2015.
Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Ideology
Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)
Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)
Campaigns targeting John Kennedy
No active campaigns target John Kennedy right now.
Start a campaign targeting John KennedyOfficeholding history
| Term | Seat | Term dates | Termination | Predecessor | Successor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | U.S. Senate LA Class 3 | 2023–present | In progress | John Kennedy | — |
| 1st | U.S. Senate LA Class 3 | 2017–2023 | Term ended | — | John Kennedy |
Committee assignments
- Economic PolicySenateChairman· 2023–present
- Energy and Water DevelopmentSenateChairman· 2023–present
- Financial Institutions and Consumer ProtectionSenate· 2023–present
- Securities, Insurance, and InvestmentSenate· 2023–present
- Department of Homeland SecuritySenate· 2023–present
- Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related AgenciesSenate· 2023–present
- Privacy, Technology, and the LawSenate· 2023–present
- Senate· 2023–present
- Border Security and ImmigrationSenate· 2023–present
- Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal RightsSenate· 2023–present
- the ConstitutionSenate· 2023–present
- Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related AgenciesSenate· 2023–present
- Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related AgenciesSenate· 2023–present
- Senate· 2023–present
- Senate· 2023–present
- Senate· 2023–present
- Department of DefenseSenate· 2023–present
Current term legislation
Bills sponsored this term10
- S. 2510
Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act
Jul 29, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 2441
Build Now Act of 2025
Jul 24, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1924
Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act
Jun 2, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1923
CFPB Pay Fairness Act of 2025
Jun 2, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1811
Embracing Anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education Act
May 20, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1669
CRAWDAD Act
May 7, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1629
Same Care, Lower Cost Act
May 6, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1454
FIGHT Act of 2025
Apr 10, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1401
Targeting Child Predators Act of 2025
Apr 9, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1153
No Dollars for Dictators Act of 2025
Mar 26, 2025IN_COMMITTEE
Bills cosponsored this term10
- S. 2426
Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act
Jul 24, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 2461
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2025
Jul 24, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 2376
A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to include rioting in the definition of racketeering activity.
Jul 22, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 2253
Unsubscribe Act of 2025
Jul 10, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 2211
Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025
Jul 8, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 2116
A bill to require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to annually review, update, and report on the facilities and property of the United States Government determined to be national security sensitive for purposes of review of real estate transactions under section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950.
Jun 18, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1829
STOP CSAM Act of 2025
May 21, 2025INTRODUCED - S. 1816
Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
May 20, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1808
Access to Small Business Investor Capital Act
May 20, 2025IN_COMMITTEE - S. 1779
LOCOMOTIVES Act
May 15, 2025IN_COMMITTEE
Elections
| Year | Seat | Result | Vote share | Field |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | Pending | — | — |