Jason Kander, an American University alum and recent Democratic Senate candidate in Missouri, will speak to students in McDowell Formal Lounge on Jan. 23, the Kennedy Political Union announced today.
Kander currently serves as the president of Let America Vote, a political group he founded in February 2017 to oppose what he considers voter suppression laws, such as voter ID laws, early voting restrictions and certain voter registration policies.
In 2012, Kander was the first millennial elected to statewide office when he was elected Missouri’s Secretary of State, a position he held through early 2017. Prior to his political career, Kander volunteered for a tour in Afghanistan, where he served as an intelligence officer in the Army National Guard and achieved the rank of captain. He earned his political science degree from AU in 2002.
Kander is perhaps best well known for his 2016 Senate run against Republican incumbent Roy Blunt. Kander’s campaign was boosted by a viral campaign ad depicting him assembling a rifle blindfolded as he called for expanded background checks for gun purchases. He eventually lost the race, earning over 46 percent of the vote.
The event is set to begin at 7 p.m. and is co-sponsored by the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, AU College Democrats and Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow. Admission is free to all current AU students with a valid student ID.
