A Kennedy for Connecticut governor?

Newly elected state Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., D-Branford, chats with Rep. Pam Staneski during a public hearing of the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Committee at the Capitol in Hartford on Jan. 15, 2015. Kennedy, son of the Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy. less Newly elected state Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., D-Branford, chats with Rep. Pam Staneski during a public hearing of the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Committee at the Capitol in Hartford on Jan. 15, 2015. ... more Photo: Brian A. Pounds / File Photo Buy photo Photo: Brian A. Pounds / File Photo Image 1 of / 80 Caption Close A Kennedy for Connecticut governor? 1 / 80 Back to Gallery

His name opens doors, but comes with the burden of lofty political expectations: Ted Kennedy Jr.

Now in his second term as a state senator, the Branford Democrat and disability advocate is said by multiple sources to be strongly leaning toward a run for governor in 2018.

A person close to Kennedy put the chances at “90 percent” that the health care lawyer and son of the late “liberal lion” Edward M. Kennedy jumps into the race, capitalizing on his name recognition and a potential vacuum if fellow Democrat Dannel P. Malloy opts not to seek a third term as governor.

Kennedy, 55, declined an interview request, but issued a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media demurring about his gubernatorial plans and calling it an honor to serve in the state Senate, where he is co-chairman of the Environment Committee. He is the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy.

“If other opportunities to serve were to arise, I would consider them,” Kennedy said. “But right now, I am focused on my legislative agenda to strengthen our state finances, bring jobs back to our state, protect our environment, promote disability rights and preserve access to health care.”

Kennedy’s bold overture could mark a new dawn for the political dynasty, with first cousin Chris Kennedy already a candidate for Illinois governor next year. Kennedy’s cousin, Joe Kennedy III, now in his third term as a Massachusetts congressman, will also be on the ballot.

“It’s very interesting to me that (Ted Kennedy Jr.) waited until after his father’s passing to get into the field of politics,” said Thomas Maier, who has written two books on the political clan, including “The Kennedys: America’s Emerald Kings.” “Whatever Ted Jr. achieves now is mainly on his own. He’s using the family name, but he doesn’t have the Kennedy political machine at his beck and call. It doesn’t exist anymore.”

The foundation for a statewide campaign started to take shape last fall when, people familiar with Kennedy’s plans say, the safe incumbent ventured outside his district to help three Senate colleagues and several Democratic town committees raise funds. The excursion took him to the northeastern part of the state, the eastern suburbs of Hartford and a swath from Cheshire to Middletown in the center of the state. He also campaigned for a pair of unsuccessful Senate challengers in Bristol and Southington.

Kennedy could have a galvanizing effect not just for Democrats, however. From his support of a carbon tax bill that stalled to his push for all single-use retail bags to be made of 80 percent recyclable material by 2020, Kennedy’s green agenda has run into resistance from Republicans.

“Trust fund Ted, as we call him, can’t identify with the vast majority of the state of Connecticut, who are suffering through the policies that he’s supporting,” said J.R. Romano, the state GOP chairman.

And then there is Senate Bill 750, a Kennedy measure that would automatically enroll all Connecticut residents in an organ donation program upon their deaths unless they opt out. It’s aimed at reducing the number of deaths for people on organ donation lists, but it’s drawn the ire of conservatives, including the alt-right news website Breitbart.

“Opt-out is kind of scary that you’re in until you get out,” said Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, who is friends with Kennedy.

When Kennedy was 12, he was diagnosed with bone cancer, which forced doctors to amputate his right leg below the knee and fit him for a prosthetic limb. Enduring two years of chemotherapy, Kennedy was the subject of a made-for-television movie in 1986.

“For a very high-profile family, I think Ted is a very down-to-earth individual,” Fasano said. “I think he’s got, like his father, a great booming voice. I’ve never known Ted to be somebody who has said, ‘this is my position and I’m not going to listen to somebody.’ ”

The town of Durham is split between Fasano’s and Kennedy’s districts, which also includes Madison, Guilford, Killingworth, North Branford and Branford. Fasano played pickup football at Yale Field with Kennedy’s cousin, Tim Shriver, when he was younger. He also worked with Kennedy’s wife, Kiki Kennedy, who grew up in Stamford, to defeat the construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal off the coast of Branford. The couple used to be members of Silver Sands Beach & Tennis Club in East Haven, which Fasano owns.

“If he had a different last name, I don’t think that he would be running, if in fact he is, as rumor has it,” Fasano said of the governor’s race. “He’s still new to government, certainly. It takes a while to really understand how that building works in terms of budgets and policy issues.”

The Wesleyan- and Yale-educated Kennedy vaulted onto the political stage in 2014, when was easily elected to fill the Senate seat of retiring Democrat Edward Meyer, a former federal prosecutor appointed by Kennedy’s late uncle, Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy’s arrival in the Legislature coincided with that of state Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, whose district overlaps.

“He has been a tremendous partner and advocate for our communities,” Scanlon said. “Whatever he chooses to do next, I’m sure he will bring the same amount of commitment, dedication and passion for fighting for the people he represents.”

So far, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew is the lone Democratic officeholder to set up an exploratory committee for a gubernatorial run next year. State Comptroller Kevin Lembo has also been criss-crossing the state to raise his profile for a potential run, but has been careful to avoid stepping on Malloy’s toes. By contrast, a stable of Republican mayors and legislators are waiting in the wings to compete for the state’s highest office.

People close to Kennedy say he would seek public funding for his campaign through the state’s clean elections program, which would require him to raise $250,000 in small contributions. He would then be eligible for $6 million for the general election and $1.4 million if there is a Democratic primary.

In 2014, Kennedy faced criticism after the state Democrats kicked in an additional $207,000 into his race despite spending limits as a publicly-financed candidate. Of the additional funds, $88,000 came from Kennedy relatives and business associates.

Biographers of the Kennedys say the third generation of current and former officeholders, which includes Ted Kennedy Jr., has the same predisposition to public service, but without the pressure.

“I don’t think they have the same in-your-face driving force of Joe Kennedy Sr. that JFK, Bobby and Ted had throughout their lives,” Maier said. “I think, for this generation, the fond recollection of the Kennedys from a half-century ago and just the media attention that brings out unpaid advertising is the greatest asset that somebody like Ted Jr. can expect from his family name.”