Jason Kander: Difference between revisions

He was the Democratic nominee for the [[United States Senate]] for [[Missouri]] in [[2016 United States Senate election in Missouri|2016]], narrowly losing the election to [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] incumbent [[Roy Blunt]].<ref name=results>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/missouri|title=Missouri Results |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> After the Senate election, Kander founded an organization called [[Let America Vote]], a campaign dedicated to ending [[voter suppression]].<ref name=murphy>{{cite news|url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2017/02/07/jason-kander-launches-let-america-vote-to-fight-voter-suppression|title=Jason Kander Launches Let America Vote to Fight Voter Suppression|first=Doyle|last=Murphy|newspaper=[[Riverfront Times]]|date=February 7, 2017}}</ref> He declared as a candidate in the [[2019 Kansas City mayoral election]], but dropped out on October 2, 2018, after revealing that he suffered from [[PTSD]] and [[Major depressive disorder|depression]].<ref name=Turque/>

Kander was born on May 4, 1981 in [[Overland Park, Kansas]],<ref name=alookat>{{cite news|url=http://www.semissourian.com/story/1905332|title=A look at Mo. candidates for secretary of state|newspaper=[[Southeast Missourian]]|access-date=April 12, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423174658/http://www.semissourian.com/story/1905332|archive-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref> the son of Janet (née Secor), a [[probation officer|juvenile probation officer]], and Steve Kander, a [[police officer]] who later ran a small business.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Kansas City Star|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article25849813.html|date=June 30, 2015|first=Steve|last=Kraske|title=Missouri and Kansas campaigns are scrambling for dough as June 30 deadline beckons}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.columbiatribune.com/d9f2aa67-ce5c-5bf9-a933-5a3b6edaa6d6.html|title=Fact check: Jason Kander is a fifth-generation Missourian|newspaper=Columbia Daily Tribune|date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> His father is [[American Jews|Jewish]], and Kander was brought up in a [[Judaism|Jewish]] household that he describes as "[[Reform Judaism|Reform]] but not very observant."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stljewishlight.com/special_sections/ohr_chadash/article_00f58c06-90ea-11e6-8a78-13a6c1a59ac4.html|title=Senate candidate influenced by Jewish upbringing|newspaper=[[St. Louis Jewish Light]]|last=Fleisher|first=Gabe|date=October 13, 2016|access-date=February 8, 2017|archive-date=October 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026233552/http://www.stljewishlight.com/special_sections/ohr_chadash/article_00f58c06-90ea-11e6-8a78-13a6c1a59ac4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Guttman|first= Nathan |title=Does Jason Kander Have The Winning Formula For Democrats In The Heartland? |newspaper=[[Jewish Daily Forward]]|date=July 3, 2017 |url=https://forward.com/news/374919/does-jason-kander-have-the-winning-formula-for-democrats-in-the-heartland/ |quote=Kander, 36, was born in Kansas to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother...Kander describes his family as Reform but not very observant. }}</ref> He was raised in [[Shawnee, Kansas]] with his younger brother, Jeff, and several troubled children that his parents fostered.<ref name="kcstarsenate"/><ref>{{cite tweet |user=JasonKander |number=991656062800613376 |url=https://twitter.com/JasonKander/status/991656062800613376|title=1986: Me holding my brand new baby brother Jeff.|date=May 2, 2018}}</ref> He graduated from [[Bishop Miege High School]] in 1999, where he played baseball<ref name="fox4kc.com">https://fox4kc.com/sports/kc-hustlers-charlie-hustle-to-sponsor-free-baseball-in-kansas-city/</ref> and was a member of the [[debate team]].<ref name=miege>{{cite news |url=http://www.bishopmiege.com/s/100/images/editor_documents/miegians/october2012miegian_2.pdf|date=October 12, 2012|title=Stag Debate: Producing Championships and Fostering Success for Miege Graduates|first=Luke|last=Wheeler}}</ref><ref name=ruiz>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/democratic-party-rising-stars|last=Ruiz|first=Michelle|title=Who Is the Future of the Democratic Party?|date=January 27, 2017|magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|access-date=April 30, 2018}}</ref>

He attended [[American University]] in Washington, DC, where he studied [[political science]].<ref name="kcstarsenate">{{cite news|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article108302532.html|title=Jason Kander wants you to know he's running for Senate as a veteran|last=Canon|first=Scott|newspaper=Kansas City Star|date=October 14, 2016|access-date=December 27, 2017}}</ref>

After the [[September 11 attacks]], Kander enlisted in the [[Army National Guard]]. While earning his [[juris doctor|JD]] degree at [[Georgetown University Law Center]] in the capital; he earned his commission as a [[US Second Lieutenant|second lieutenant]] through the University's [[ROTC]] battalion.<ref>{{cite news|title=From Georgetown to the frontlines|url=http://georgetownvoice.com/2007/08/24/from-georgetown-to-the-frontlines|date=August 24, 2007|first=Tim|last=Fernholz|newspaper=[[The Georgetown Voice]]|access-date=November 23, 2015}}</ref>

In 2017, Kander became a [[CNN]] contributor.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/richard-spencer-alt-right-cabaret-twitter-jason-kander-response-1202012578|title=Politician Jason Kander Puts Down 'Alt-Right' Leader Richard Spencer Over 'Cabaret' Tweet|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=March 20, 2017|access-date=April 29, 2017}}</ref> He hosts the [[Wonder Media Network]] podcast ''Majority 54 with Jason Kander & Ravi Gupta'': he and his guests explore how Democrats can talk about divisive issues with people who voted for [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wondermedianetwork.com/majority-54/|title=Majority 54 with Jason Kander|publisher=Wonder Media Network|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, he published his first book, ''Outside the Wire: 10 Lessons I've Learned in Everyday Courage'', reflecting on the period of his time in the military, to when he launched his first political campaign. He also explores how the Democratic Party should proceed following the [[2016 U.S. presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jasonkanderbook.com/|title=Outside the Wire|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> In 2022, he published his memoir, ''Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD'', about his journey to post-traumatic growth. <ref>https://jasonkander.com/#page-3</ref> Both books were named New York Times Bestsellers. <ref>https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2022/07/17/jason-kander-new-bestselling-book-finds-hope-healing-ptsd-missouri-secretary-of-state-us-army/10052788002/</ref> <ref>https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2018/08/26/hardcover-nonfiction/</ref> <ref>https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2022/07/24/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/</ref>

Kander also plays centerfield for the Kansas City Hustlers of the National Men's Adult Baseball League.<ref>https:// name="fox4kc.com"/sports/kc-hustlers-charlie-hustle-to-sponsor-free-baseball-in-kansas-city/</ref>

[[Category:MembersDemocratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives]]