In Massachusetts, a Kennedy returns to Congress

NEWTON, Massachusetts (REUTERS) - Joseph Kennedy III easily won the Massachusetts congressional seat being vacated by the retiring fellow Democrat Barney Frank, becoming the first member of his generation of a storied US political family to hold public office.

Mr Kennedy, grandson of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was virtually assured of victory over Republican Sean Bielat after he defeated two lesser-known Democratic Party rivals in the September primary. The district is solidly Democratic and last elected a Republican in 1944.

"We each want the chance, the opportunity to make the most of what we've got, the chance to build a life we can be proud of," Mr Kennedy told Reuters. "I got into this race because, above all else, I believed that that is the promise this country makes to each and every one of us."

As supporters and family members gathered at a hotel in the Boston suburb of Newton, Mr Kennedy's campaign reported late on Tuesday he had captured 62 per cent of the vote versus Bielat's 36 per cent, with 80 per cent of precincts reporting.