Kennedy ran for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada in the 1921 Canadian federal election held months later in the federal electoral district of Edmonton West as a candidate for the Progressive Party of Canada; he defeated former Liberal Member of Parliament Frank Oliver and former Conservative MLA Robert Campbell to win his first term in office.

He ran against William Rae, whom he had previously defeated, and Conservative candidate James Arthur Collins.

A year later he ran again in the 1926 Canadian federal election this time under the United Farmers of Alberta banner.

He defeated Mayor of Edmonton Joseph Clarke and James Arthur Collins again by a much larger margin[clarification needed] than the election a year ago.

Kennedy ran for a fourth term in the House of Commons in the 1930 Canadian federal election.