Kennedy

Black and white photograph over red white and blue striped with white text along the top edge.

John F. Kennedy first emerged in politics in 1946, when he won the U.S. Representative race for his district for the state of Massachusetts.  In 1952, he ran for the U.S. Senate, also for Massachusetts, beating the Republican candidate, Henry Cabot Lodge II.  In 1958, he won the reelection bid for his Senate seat.  The United States Presidential election of 1960 saw Kennedy as the Democratic nominee, facing Republican candidate Richard Nixon.  This was the first time the candidates' debate was aired on national television.  Kennedy appeared charismatic to many, while Nixon, just recovering from surgery, appeared pale and harsh.  Kennedy would go on to beat Nixon in one of the closest Presidential elections of the century.  By doing so, he became the youngest man to be elected President.