Massachusetts congressman Joe Kennedy III will visit Minnesota on Thursday to headline a campaign rally and fundraiser for colleague Rick Nolan, who faces a tough re-election race this fall.

Kennedy, son of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and grandson of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy of New York, is expected to draw a large crowd to Carmody's Irish Pub.

Kennedy and Nolan will also attend a private fundraiser at a residence St. Paul and a meet-and-greet at Everyday Joe Coffee and Café in North Branch.

A rising star on Capitol Hill, Kennedy has launched a leadership PAC to help colleagues in need of campaign cash and Nolan has been among the beneficiaries.

During Nolan's first go-around in Congress in the 1970s and early 1980s, he was an ally of Kennedy's great uncle, former U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy.

The Cook Political Report considers the race between Nolan and Republican challenger Stewart Mills III a toss-up.