Jason Kander
Jason Kander (b. May 4, 1981) is a former Democratic Missouri secretary of state. Kander was elected Missouri secretary of state in the 2012 election. He defeated Shane Schoeller (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012. Kander took office in January 2013 upon the expiration of incumbent Robin Carnahan's term. Carnahan did not seek re-election in 2012, choosing to run for U.S. Senate instead.[1]
Kander declined to seek a second term as secretary of state, and instead unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Roy Blunt in the 2016 U.S. Senate election in Missouri.[2]
Prior to his election as secretary of state, Kander served two terms in the Missouri State House, representing District 44.
Biography
Kander earned a B.A. in political science from American University and a J.D. from Georgetown Law School. During his time as a law student, Kander joined the ROTC and became a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve. After completing law school, Kander served in Afghanistan as a military intelligence officer for the United States Army from 2006 to 2007. He returned to Missouri after his deployment and accepted a position as a leadership instructor at the Missouri Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School at Fort Leonard Wood.[3][4]
Kander won election to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008. He was elected Missouri secretary of state in 2012. He ran for a U.S. Senate seat from Missouri in 2016, but lost in the general election.
Kander founded the nonprofit Let America Vote in February 2017. According to the organization's website, Let America Vote aims "to fight back against proposals across the country that make it harder for eligible voters to exercise their constitutional right to cast a ballot."[5][6] Kander previously founded Heartland Democrats of America, a 527 group that aimed "to promote traditional Democratic values in America's heartland," in 2005.[7]
In February 2017, Kander announced that he would join the Priorities USA board of directors and work with iVote, a national political action committee. Kander previously served as a member of the board of directors for Coro Kansas City. He is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, the Missouri State Bar Association, and the New Reform Temple.[5][8][9]
Education
- B.A., political science, American University
- J.D., Georgetown Law School
Political career
Missouri Secretary of State (2013-2017)
Kander was first elected secretary of state on November 6, 2012, defeating Republican Shane Schoeller for the open state executive seat. He officially succeeded Robin Carnahan, a fellow Democrat who did not seek re-election as secretary of state in 2012, on January 14, 2013. Kander declined to seek re-election to the position in 2016.[10]
Missouri State House (2009-2013)
Kander served as the 44th District Rep. of the Missouri House of Representatives from 2009-2013.
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Kander served on the following committees:
- Appropriations - Transportation and Economic Development
- Budget
- Downsizing State Government
- Judiciary
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Kander served on the following committees:
- Homeland Security
- Budget
- Joint Committee on Life Science
Elections
2016
Ballotpedia rated the race for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat as a battleground, in part, because of the Democratic Party's effort to turn a state that leaned Republican into Democratic territory. However, incumbent Roy Blunt (R) won re-election, defeating Jason Kander (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Blunt also defeated Jonathan Dine (L), Fred Ryman (Constitution Party), Johnathan McFarland (G), and write-in candidates Gina Bufe and Patrick Lee.
Kander's strategy was to run as a political outsider and try to paint Blunt as a Washington insider. According to The Kansas City Star, “Kander labels Blunt the 'consummate Washington insider' and insists Blunt has lost touch with voters who sent him to the Capitol. Kander further contends that Blunt is far too cozy with lobbyists and is in fact married to one while three of his children are lobbyists.” In response, Blunt tried to tie Kander to "Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, both of whom are unpopular in the state.”[11]
Satellite groups also sought to influence the race by spending $44,961,510. In the last weeks of the race, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee planned to spend $3.5 million to support Kander's bid to unseat Blunt. Republicans also spent money on the race to protect Blunt's seat and their majority in the Senate. The Senate Leadership Fund invested $2.5 million in Missouri in September.[12][13][14]
In his concession speech, Kander encouraged his supporters, especially his young supporters, to stay involved in politics despite the results. He said, "They need to know that I'm not OK with them stepping away, that this country is a place you've got to stay invested in. This generation is not going anywhere."[15]
In his victory speech, Blunt said, "What a great moment for our state." Blunt, who distanced himself from Trump during the campaign, was optimistic about Republican control of the presidency and Congress. He said, "A Republican president and a Republican Senate and a Republican House can do things to change this country and focus again on opportunity."[15]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Roy Blunt Incumbent |
49.2% | 1,378,458 | |
| Democratic | Jason Kander | 46.4% | 1,300,200 | |
| Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 2.4% | 67,738 | |
| Green | Johnathan McFarland | 1.1% | 30,743 | |
| Constitution | Fred Ryman | 0.9% | 25,407 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0% | 95 | |
| Total Votes | 2,802,641 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jason Kander |
69.9% | 223,492 | ||
| Cori Bush | 13.3% | 42,453 | ||
| Chief Wana Dubie | 9.5% | 30,432 | ||
| Robert Mack | 7.3% | 23,509 | ||
| Total Votes | 319,886 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roy Blunt |
72.6% | 481,444 | ||
| Kristi Nichols | 20.2% | 134,025 | ||
| Ryan Luethy | 4.4% | 29,328 | ||
| Bernie Mowinski | 2.8% | 18,789 | ||
| Total Votes | 663,586 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
||||
2012
Kander won election to the office of Secretary of State in Missouri's 2012 state executive election. He defeated MD Rabbi Alam in the Democratic primary on August 7, 2012, and later prevailed over Republican state rep. Shane Schoeller, Libertarian Cisse Spragins, and Constitution party candidate Justin Harter in the general election on November 6, 2012.[16]
| Missouri Secretary of State General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Jason Kander |
48.9% | 1,298,022 | |
| Republican | Shane Schoeller | 47.4% | 1,258,937 | |
| Libertarian | Cisse Spragins | 2.7% | 70,814 | |
| Constitution | Justin Harter | 1% | 27,710 | |
| Total Votes | 2,655,483 | |||
| Election results via Missouri Secretary of State | ||||
Primary
- Kander defeated Alam in the Democratic primary contest with almost 87% of the vote.
| Missouri Secretary of State Democratic Primary, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Jason Kander |
86.9% | 247,630 | ||
| MD Rabbi Alam | 13.1% | 37,390 | ||
| Total Votes | 285,020 | |||
| Election results via Missouri Secretary of State. | ||||
Issues
- Voter-ID bill
Kander opposed a bill sponsored by then Republican primary candidate for secretary Shane Schoeller which would require voters to show a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship to register to vote, as well as require absentee voters to mail in copies of their photo IDs with their ballots. Kander, an Afghanistan veteran, said House Bill 2109 would disenfranchise servicemen fighting overseas. "At a time when we should be making it easier for military men and women abroad to vote, Speaker Schoeller's bill would make it next to impossible," he stated in April 2012.[17]
- Early voting
Kander expressed support for extending early voting in Missouri. "I think at minimum we should move toward no-excuse absentee because it won’t cost the state anything since the infrastructure already exists.”[18]
2010
On November 2, 2010, Kander won election to the Missouri House of Representatives.[19]
| Missouri House of Representatives, District 44 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Jason Kander (D)
|
8,922 | |||
| Sally Miller (R) | 3,892 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Jason Kander ran unopposed for District 44 of the Missouri House of Representatives.[20]
Jason Kander raised $104,972 for his campaign.[21]
| Missouri House of Representatives, District 44 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Jason Kander (D) | 16,082 | 100.0% | ||
Campaign themes
2016
The following issues were listed on Kander's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.
| “ |
|
” |
| —Jason Kander's campaign website, https://www.jasonkander.com/issues/ | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Kander resides in Waldo, Missouri with his wife, Diana.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Jason Kander Missouri Secretary. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Missouri | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Office of the Missouri Secretary of State
- Campaign website]
- Missouri House of Representatives - Rep. Jason Kander
- Project Vote Smart profile
- Campaign Contributions: 2010, 2008
- Follow Kander on Twitter
- Kander on Facebook
- Kander on YouTube
Footnotes
- ↑ St. Louis Beacon, "Nixon, Kinder, Koster and Zweifel re-elected; Kander wins secretary of state race," November 7, 2012
- ↑ News-Press Now, "Kander announces run for U.S. Senate ," February 19, 2015
- ↑ Jason Kander, "Meet Jason," accessed June 12, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Senate Dem hopes may rest on rising star Kander," November 2, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Hill, "Former Dem Senate candidate launches voting rights group," February 7, 2017
- ↑ Let America Vote, "About," accessed June 12, 2017
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Form 8871—Heartland Democrats of America," February 17, 2005
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Kander
- ↑ Coro Kansas City, "Our Team," accessed June 12, 2017
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, " Biography for Secretary of State Jason Kander," accessed May 24, 2013
- ↑ Kansas City Star, "Roy Blunt the insider vs. Jason Kander the outsider sums up U.S. Senate contest in Missouri," accessed September 27, 2016
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed November 12, 2016
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Missouri Senate race unique in complex national cross-currents of 2016," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ National Review, "Missouri’s Senate Race Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Close," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Military Times, "Incumbent Blunt defeats Kander in Missouri Senate race," accessed November 12, 2016
- ↑ AP Election Results-Campaign 2012, "Missouri-Summary Vote Results," August 7, 2012
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Shane Schoeller, Missouri Legislator, Says Voter ID Bill Wouldn't Disenfranchise Troops," April 18, 2012
- ↑ St-Louis Beacon, "In race for secretary of state, Kander and Schoeller emphasize their differences," October 17, 2012
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, " November 2, 2010 general election results," November 30, 2010
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Official Election Returns - State of Missouri General Election - 2008 General Election," accessed October 22, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money's report on Kander's 2008 campaign contributions
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robin Carnahan (D) |
Missouri Secretary of State 2013-2017 |
Succeeded by Jay Ashcroft (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Missouri House of Representatives District 44 2009–2013 |
Succeeded by Caleb Rowden (R) |
| |||||||||||||||||||
