Rep. Kennedy talks about his reelection

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WPRI) - Congressman Patrick Kennedy spoke about his own reelection campaign Monday for the first time since Republican Scott Brown won the special election to fill the Senate seat held by his late father,  Sen. Edward Kennedy .

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Kennedy is running for his ninth term in the House of Representatives. However this time he's not only being challenged by Republican John Loughlin , he may also have competition from inside his own party. Democratic State Rep. Jon Brien has indicated he may challenge the incumbent in a primary race.

"We're not like a lot of other places in the country, where they only take a measure of someone based on some national poll," Kennedy said during an event in Portsmouth. "In Rhode Island, people know their representative."

Loughlin is hoping to build off the momentum established by Senator-Elect Scott Brown , the Republican who beat Democrat Martha Coakley to win the Senate seat held by Edward Kennedy for almost 50 years.

Brown was able to ride a tidal wave of voter anger to topple Coakley, who once held a double digit lead in the polls.

But Kennedy says he is not concerned.

"It isn't simply about health care," Kennedy says. "What I think the Massachusetts 'protest vote' was, if it was that, was about the economy and how people really want to focus on the economy."

While Republicans have cheered Senator-Elect Brown's victory as a victory over the so-called Kennedy-style of politics, Kennedy says that's exactly how he will campaign.

"There was a reason he won every six years," Kennedy said, speaking about his father. "It's because he minded the local politics."