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Rep. Patrick Kennedy says he won't seek re-election

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Kennedy won't seek re-election
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Kennedy makes announcement in a video to his constituents
  • He says he will continue to fight "on behalf of those suffering from depression, addiction, autism and PTSD"
  • The 42-year-old representative is in his eighth term in office

(CNN) -- Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy, a Democrat, is not running for re-election, he said Thursday in a video to his constituents.

"Having spent two decades in politics, my life is taking a new direction, and I will not be a candidate for reelection this year," he said. "Going forward, I will continue many of the fights we've waged together, particularly on behalf of those suffering from depression, addiction, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I'm so grateful to the people of Rhode Island. When I made missteps or suffered setbacks, you responded not with contempt but with compassion."

The 42-year-old representative is in his eighth term in office. He is the youngest of three children of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Massachusetts.