Jason Kander
In his pursuit of justice and fairness, Jason Kander has established a national reputation as a public servant, citizen soldier, and humanitarian. He is a prominent advocate for the preservation and expansion of voting rights, a leader in providing care and services for veterans, and a key figure in efforts to bring Afghans fleeing the Taliban regime to the United States.
Joining the United States Army after the September 11th attacks, he served in Afghanistan as a military intelligence officer and rose to the rank of Captain. After his deployment, he was an Officer Candidate School platoon trainer at Ft. Leonard Wood and was a national finalist for Army Reserve Junior Officer of the Year.
He entered politics in 2008, winning two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives. In 2012 Jason Kander was elected Missouri Secretary of State, becoming the first millennial in the nation elected to statewide office. Four years later he narrowly lost his bid for a seat in the United States Senate, over-performing the Democratic presidential ticket by 16 points. After leaving public office, he founded Let America Vote, a national voting rights campaign. He was a teaching fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and a CNN commentator.
Although a leading candidate for mayor of Kansas City in 2019, Jason Kander courageously chose to leave politics and focus on his health and his family, seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress that he had been struggling with since his time in Afghanistan. Today he is President of National Expansion for the Veterans Community Project, a Kansas City-based organization that works to prevent veteran suicide and to end veteran homelessness. He is a founder of the Afghan Rescue Project and the author of Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD whose profits support the Veterans Community Project.
Jason Kander is married to his high school sweetheart Diana, an innovation consultant and speaker. They live in Kansas City with their son True and daughter Bella. He holds degrees from American University and the Georgetown University Law School.