1962 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts
As of 2025, Kennedy and Lodge's combined age of 65 remains the youngest for two major candidates in a United States Senate election.The incoming president was not only keen to maintain a Democratic presence from his home state in the Senate but under strong pressure from his father Joseph P. Kennedy to ensure the seat remained in the family.However, at the insistence of the family patriarch and to some controversy, the president-elect agreed to nominate Robert for Attorney General of the United States.McCormack had the support of many liberals and intellectuals, who thought Kennedy inexperienced ("I back Jack, but Teddy ain't ready") and knew of his suspension from Harvard, which was publicized during the race.[4] Well aware that he was also from a political family, and not much older than Kennedy, Lodge avoided making the same sort of attacks attempted by McCormack.