her two children. In Ted Kennedy's 1994 senatorial re-election campaign against moderate Republican Mitt Romney, she was credited by The New York Times with "giving him a political advantage in a difficult contest." For a Boston, Massachusetts, reception she organized, 1,200 influential New England women met five of Kennedy's Senate colleagues. Kennedy became Ted's principal assistant and closest political advisor. By 1997, she no longer practiced law. Following Ted Kennedy's May 2008 diagnosis of brain cancer, Kennedy became his primary caregiver. See also Kennedy family tree Footnotes External links "Victoria Reggie Kennedy" , her biography at Common Sense about Kids and Guns "Victoria Reggie and Ted Kennedy Marriage Profile", (undated) by Sheri Stritof and Bob Stritof at About.com 1954 births Living people Ambassadors of the United States to Austria American gun control activists American people of Lebanese descent American women ambassadors Catholics from Louisiana Catholics from Massachusetts Illinois lawyers Victoria Reggie Louisiana lawyers Lawyers from Washington, D.C. Massachusetts Democrats People from Barnstable, Massachusetts People from Crowley, Louisiana Spouses of Massachusetts politicians Ted Kennedy Tulane University alumni Tulane University Law School alumni American women diplomats