Kennelly, Barbara B. (Barbara Bailey), 1936-

Barbara Bailey Kennelly (born July 10, 1936) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 1st district from 1982 to 1999.

Born Barbara Ann Bailey in Hartford, Connecticut, she raduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in West Hartford in 1954. She earned a B.A. from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. (now Trinity Washington University) in 1958 and a certificate from the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration in 1959 before marrying John Kennelly, later Speaker of the Connecticut House. In 1971, she earned a master's degree from Trinity College in Connecticut. She worked as the director of two social service organizations before being appointed in 1975 to fill a vacancy on the Hartford court of common council. She was elected to the post the next year and served for a total of four years. In 1978, when Connecticut secretary of state Gloria Schaffer left office, Kennelly launched her own successful campaign to win election to the post against the wishes of Democratic leaders.

Kennelly was elected to Congress in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William R. Cotter. She represented Connecticut's First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives for eight terms, from January 12, 1982 until January 3, 1999. During the 98th Congress, Kennelly was appointed to the Ways and Means Committee. She served on the Subcommittees on Human Resources and Select Revenue Measures. Beginning in 1987, she served on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. During the 103rd Congress, Kennelly became Vice-Chair of the Democratic Caucus. She did not seek re-election in 1998, running instead for Governor of Connecticut against Republican incumbent John G. Rowland, to whom she lost.

After leaving Congress, Kennelly was appointed Associate Commissioner and Counselor at the Social Security Administration, overseeing the office of retirement policy. She also served as an advisor and lobbyist for a national law firm. In April 2002, Kennelly was named president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Following the death of her husband in 1995, Kennelly has resided in Connecticut.