Chris Heinz won't make run in '06
Chris Heinz, the stepson of U.S. Sen. John Kerry who was widely rumored to be considering a run for Congress, said Monday that he won't seek office in 2006.
The son of the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz III, R-Fox Chapel, had stumped for Kerry's unsuccessful Democratic presidential bid last year, sparking rumors that Heinz would follow that with his own campaign against U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Bradford Woods. Heinz, 32, is the youngest of John and Teresa Heinz Kerry's three children.
"I'm definitely not doing it in 2006. I've thought about it in my life, but it's just not right at this particular time," Heinz told The Associated Press by phone from New York City, where he lives.
"In a way, I see that as good," said Hart, adding that she is "pleased" she won't have to compete with Heinz's prodigious personal fortune. Hart said Heinz's decision won't change her re-election strategy. Because of her district's high number of Democrats, "I'm expecting an opponent."
Heinz, a Yale graduate with a master's degree in business administration from Harvard, said he is working with some friends in private equity to develop businesses.
"There's just other stuff I want to do," Heinz said.
Heinz said he believes he and his family have moved on since the presidential election, but that he is disappointed in the country's current leadership.
State Democratic Chairman T.J. Rooney, who is also a state representative, said he spoke to Heinz after the November election about a possible run. Rooney said Democrats would welcome Heinz if he decides to run in the future.
"Clearly, anytime a candidate that has the potential of a Chris Heinz, anytime they decide this isn't the right year is disappointing," Rooney said.
During the presidential campaign, the curly, dark-haired Heinz was often compared to John F. Kennedy Jr. in looks and lineage. He was named one of last year's 50 hottest bachelors by People magazine.
Despite Heinz's name recognition and history of relationships with political giants, Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania spokesman Josh Wilson said Heinz passed on the congressional race because he feared losing to Hart.
"Chris Heinz's decision not to run is a testament to Congresswoman Hart's exemplary service to her district," Wilson said.
Just before last year's presidential election, Heinz registered as a Democrat in the Pittsburgh suburb where his family has a home.
Heinz had taken a leave of absence from Jacobson Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, to work full time for his stepfather's presidential campaign last year. Friendly and affable, Heinz touted Kerry at everything from large rallies on college campuses to intimate house parties in suburban Pittsburgh.
Despite his ability to work a crowd, Heinz has described himself as a nerd who isn't fond of public speaking. Still, many Pennsylvania Democrats believe that he has the charisma, along with the bank account, to make a serious run.
Heinz's father died in a 1991 plane crash near Philadelphia. His mother married Kerry in 1995.
Last June, Heinz had said he didn't have any plans after the Nov. 2 election.
"If I could be half as successful as my dad and stepdad, I would be a happy guy," Heinz said at the time.
Additional Information:
The Chris Heinz file
