By ANDREW MIGA
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Rep. Patrick Kennedy has decided not to seek re-election to Congress, saying his life is “taking a new direction” just months after the death of his father and mentor, Sen. Edward Kennedy.
The Rhode Island Democrat taped a message to be aired on the state’s television stations Sunday night. The Associated Press viewed the message Thursday, ahead of the announcement.
“Now having spent two decades in politics, my life is taking a new direction, and I will not be a candidate for re-election this year,” Kennedy says in the ad.