Jack Schlossberg Opens Up About Late Sister Tatiana: “I Talk to Her Every Day”

As he campaigns for Congress, Jack Schlossberg finds inspiration in the memory of his late sister, Tatiana Schlossberg, who passed away in December 2025 at just 35 after a brave battle with acute myeloid leukemia. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy revealed the special connection that keeps him motivated on the campaign trail.

“I know for a fact that she would be proud of me because I talk to her every day,” Jack, 33, shared. “It’s really hard to campaign after losing her so recently, but she wanted me to fight back as hard as I possibly could. I’m fighting for her and with her by my side every single day.”

Tatiana, an environmental journalist, left behind two young children, 4-year-old Edwin and 2-year-old Josephine, whom she shared with husband George Moran. Jack fondly recalls the joy they bring him. “Both of them make me laugh my head off, just like she did,” he said. Following Tatiana’s passing, their parents, Caroline Kennedy, 68, and Ed Schlossberg, 80, moved in with Moran and the grandchildren to help care for them.

Jack described his late sister as a confidante and a best friend. “The thing I miss most about Tatiana is all the little things she would laugh at with me without needing explanation,” he said. “She was as smart as a whip and could have helped me with debate prep. I think the last debate went really, really well—I wiped the floor with the other guys.”

Launching his campaign for New York’s 12th Congressional District just weeks before Tatiana’s passing, Jack said that her final words were a challenge he could not ignore: “The last thing she said to me was, ‘You better win.’ No one knew me better than her, and I knew no one better than her.”

He also emphasized the closeness of their family unit. “When you talk about what family is, it’s me, my sisters, my parents. We’re a unit, and we’re really close,” Jack said.

Tatiana’s influence extends beyond his personal life. Jack has been vocal about his opposition to his Republican rivals, citing his sister’s strong values. “She hated Republican billionaires and knew the guys I was running against were dangerous, bad, dirty people,” he told PEOPLE.

The first-time candidate has also pushed back against critical coverage from The New York Times, dismissing it as politically motivated. “It didn’t describe reality that I could recognize as anything to do with my own campaign,” he said. “It was a hatchet job, trying to kill our campaign after we’d been leading the polls for a month.”

As the crowded Democratic primary heads toward early voting on June 13, Jack is confident in his ability to inspire young voters. At a June 9 debate hosted by Spectrum News NY1, he positioned himself as a fresh political voice ready to challenge President Donald Trump, telling rivals, “I am Jack Schlossberg. I have made my way here myself. Do not invoke my family name to denigrate who I am.”

Even as he navigates the pressures of public life, Jack keeps Tatiana’s memory at the heart of his journey. “I’m fighting every day with her by my side,” he said. “She’s with me in everything I do.”