Background
Jason Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Janet and Steve Kander.
Jason Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Janet and Steve Kander.
American University; Georgetown University Law Center.
During his career in the General Assembly, he represented the 44th district (which includes parts of Jackson County) from 2009 to 2013. He was elected Secretary of State on November 6, 2012. He is running for the United States Senate against Republican incumbent Roy Blunt in the 2016 election.
He is a fifth-generation Missourian.
He was a senior at American University during the September 11 attacks, and soon after decided to enlist in the Army National Guard. While pursuing a law degree from Georgetown University, he earned his commission through the University"s Reserve Officers Training Corps battalion.
He then volunteered for a tour in Afghanistan, where "as a lieutenant, he led a team of intelligence soldiers who investigated dirty dealers inside the Afghan government."
When he returned home, Kander took a position as an instructor at the Missouri National Guard"s Officer Candidate School at Fort Leonard Wood. In 2010, Kander was named one of 10 finalists for the Army Reserve Association"s Major
General Strom Thurmond Outstanding Junior Officer of the Year Award.
As reported by the Missouri National Guard, "In their official evaluations, his commanding officers in Afghanistan described him as an outstanding leader that volunteered for dangerous assignments. The United States. Director of Intelligence in Afghanistan advised the Army: "Watch this officer"s career closely. He is one of the best.""
Jason is married to Diana (Kagan) Kander, a businesswoman in Columbia, Missouri.
Kander was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008, winning 68% of the vote in a three-way Democratic primary and facing no General Election opposition.
In 2010, Kander worked with Republican State Representative Tim Flook to pass the first major ethics reform bill in Missouri since 1991. The Kander/Flook bill "made it a felony to run campaign contributions through different committees — a form of money laundering that donors and politicians use to make it look like legislation is not bought and sold" and better empowered the Missouri Ethics Commission new powers.
In 2010, he ran for re-election to his State Representative seat and earned 70% of the vote to defeat Republican Sally Miller. He is the author of Sam and Lindsey"s law, which helps authorities prevent kidnapping during custody battles.
He also passed legislation to take Missouri"s human trafficking laws from some of the weakest to some of the strongest in the nation.
When Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced she would not run for re-election in late 2011, Kander immediately jumped into the race to replace her. Kander faced Doctor of Medicine Rabbi Alam in the primary election, winning 87% of the vote – the biggest margin of all statewide candidates in a primary in 2012. Kander ran against the Speaker Pro Tem of the Missouri House, State Representative Shane Schoeller, in the General Election.
As of the October Quarterly Report, Kander had $1,075,000 on hand while Schoeller had $297,450 to spend for the rest of the election.
However, Schoeller received over $500,000 in the final weeks from a District of Columbia Political Action Committee. On November 6, 2012, Kander narrowly defeated Schoeller and was elected as the next Missouri Secretary of State.
Kander is a former Army Captain who served in Afghanistan as a military intelligence officer, a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, and an attorney from Kansas City, Missouri. As a member of the Budget committee, he exposed a no-bid contract and helped balance the budget without raising taxes.
