Kennedy 1980 with Stripes

Blue background with white text and two white stripes cutting diagonally through the middle

In 1980, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts announced his campaign to run in the presidential election. The brother to former president, John F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy ran against President Jimmy Carter, who sought a second term in office. Despite showing early potential, having won primaries in New York, California, and eight other states, Kennedy's campaign suffered from from numerous factors, most prominently of which was Kennedy's role in the Chappaquiddick incident. In July 1969, Kennedy accidently drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy failed to notify authorities for ten hours following the incident, causing for his reputation to diminish in the process. The incident as well as general disorganization within the campaign forced Kennedy to withdraw his bid at the Democratic National Convention in August of 1980. Kennedy never sought the presidency afterwards.