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Merchandise Mart President Kennedy to Run for Senate

The Chicago Sun Times reports that Kennedy has already hired media consultant firm AKPD to publicize his campaign and has even shot his first commercial.

Laurel Petriello -- Interior Design, 5/21/2009 12:00:00 AM

Chris Kennedy Merchandise Mart president
The Merchandise Mart President Chris Kennedy, courtesy of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.

A new member of the Kennedy family has his sights set on politics, and this one has ties to the design community. Chris Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, is planning to run for the Illinois United States Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama.

Family friends say the current president of Chicago’s Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. may announce his candidacy as early as next week for the seat, which is currently occupied by Democrat Roland Burris, who was appointed by disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The Chicago Sun Times reports that Kennedy has already hired media consultant firm AKPD, founded by Obama’s senior advisor David Axelrod, to publicize his campaign and has even shot his first commercial.

Kennedy, an MBA from Northwestern University, has held his position as president of The Merchandise Mart since 2000; the Mart was previously owned by the Kennedy family for approximately 50 years. Throughout this leadership role, Kennedy has been noted for expanding the depth of the design center, as well as spearheading its efforts to become the world’s largest LEED-certified building. The Mart was awarded LEED certification in 2007.

See an interview with Chris Kennedy, Mark Falanga, and Interior Design publisher Mark Strauss at the 2008 NeoCon: