Ted Kennedy was a politician.
Edward Moore Kennedy ( February 22 , 1932 -- August 25 , 2009 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts . A member of the Democratic Party , he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and was the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history , having served there for almost 47 years . Ted Kennedy entered the Senate in a November 1962 special election to fill the seat previously held by his brother , John , who was now the President . The United States Senate election of 1964 in Massachusetts was held on November 3 , 1964 with the incumbent Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy defeating his challengers .