U.S. Representative Tim Murphy just got a new challenger: Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy, who tells me this is his first run for office, sent out the following release last night:

Patrick Kennedy, 39 of North Huntingdon in Westmoreland County has Announced his Candidacy for Congress in the 18th Congressional District.

He is married to the former Stacey Falbo of Irwin. He has two children Jebediah and Brandon ages 15 and 12.

Kennedy is a Graduate of Millington High School and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1988 to 1992 and the United States Army from 1993 to 1996 and is a member local Teamsters 249 working for Yrc Frieght as a Freight worker.

In announcing his Candidacy Kennedy stated, "The founding fathers did not intend our system of Government to be run by elitist professional politicians that are unresponsive to the peoples needs. It is time to elect men and women who know the daily struggles people endure."

"I am the only non-professional politician in this race and who has not been part of the problem in Washington D.C. These professional politicians have distorted our system of Government and it is now time for a new start."

Kennedy's issue page lists healthcare reform first, and it's the first issue he mentioned to me during a conversation we had a little while ago. Instead of paying insurers to act as middlemen, he counsels expanding Medicare across the board, essentially turning it into a universal insurance program. "The system's already there, and we're already paying for it," he says. 

The odds against Kennedy are long. Two other Democrats, Chad Kluko and Stephen O'Donnell, have tried their luck in recent years. Both were pummelled in November. And Kennedy acknowledges that while he has been reaching out to local Democratic officials like Allegheny County part chair Jim Burn, "I don't have a lot of money." 

Kennedy joins another Democratic challenger, Dan Connolly. Apparently, in district 18, only Irish need apply.