by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Former Missouri secretary of state Jason Kander made news yesterday when it was revealed that he will be running for mayor of Kansas City next year. Kander made a national imprint in 2016 when he gave entrenched Missouri Republican senator Roy Blunt the race of his political life.
After narrowly losing that race to Blunt in what was otherwise a Trump landslide across Missouri, Kander went on to form a non-profit group called "Let America Vote" which worked at registering voters and creating easier access to the polls nationwide. Kander's work with that group led him to campaign with many Democratic candidates across the country, a move that some saw as a prelude to a presidential run in 2020.
Jason Kander has recently noted that he received more votes in Kansas City in 2016 than any other candidate on the ballot. If he wins the election as the city's next mayor, he will be in a comfortable position to pursue higher office in the future.
Kander was born in the Kansas City suburb or Overland Park, Kansas, in 1981.
The Kansas City mayor's office sits atop the 29-story City Hall building in downtown KC. Back in the early 2000s, my good friend and former university housemate, Millie, was working as an aide to Kansas City's mayor at the time, Kay Barnes, and had an office just outside of the mayor's. Millie took me over to City Hall one evening, after normal business hours, and gave me a tour. We strolled around the observation deck that crowns the building and gives a magnificent view of the entire city, and then we went to Millie's office and on into the one occupied by Mayor Barnes.
I remember two things about the mayor's office from that night. She had a bouquet of fresh flowers on her desk, a gift from her husband - fresh flowers delivered every week for a year. The mayor's husband had passed away shortly after placing that order - he was gone, but the flowers kept coming. The other thing was a small framed photograph of the mayor's cousin, Walter Cronkite, that was also sitting on her desk. Both items provided a very personal glimpse into the life of the lady who was running the great city at that time.
And Kansas City is a great city - one where everything was, is, and always will be up-to-date!
Congratulations, Kansas City, on recruiting a top flight candidate for mayor - and give 'em hell, Jason!
Citizen Journalist
Former Missouri secretary of state Jason Kander made news yesterday when it was revealed that he will be running for mayor of Kansas City next year. Kander made a national imprint in 2016 when he gave entrenched Missouri Republican senator Roy Blunt the race of his political life.
After narrowly losing that race to Blunt in what was otherwise a Trump landslide across Missouri, Kander went on to form a non-profit group called "Let America Vote" which worked at registering voters and creating easier access to the polls nationwide. Kander's work with that group led him to campaign with many Democratic candidates across the country, a move that some saw as a prelude to a presidential run in 2020.
Jason Kander has recently noted that he received more votes in Kansas City in 2016 than any other candidate on the ballot. If he wins the election as the city's next mayor, he will be in a comfortable position to pursue higher office in the future.
Kander was born in the Kansas City suburb or Overland Park, Kansas, in 1981.
The Kansas City mayor's office sits atop the 29-story City Hall building in downtown KC. Back in the early 2000s, my good friend and former university housemate, Millie, was working as an aide to Kansas City's mayor at the time, Kay Barnes, and had an office just outside of the mayor's. Millie took me over to City Hall one evening, after normal business hours, and gave me a tour. We strolled around the observation deck that crowns the building and gives a magnificent view of the entire city, and then we went to Millie's office and on into the one occupied by Mayor Barnes.
I remember two things about the mayor's office from that night. She had a bouquet of fresh flowers on her desk, a gift from her husband - fresh flowers delivered every week for a year. The mayor's husband had passed away shortly after placing that order - he was gone, but the flowers kept coming. The other thing was a small framed photograph of the mayor's cousin, Walter Cronkite, that was also sitting on her desk. Both items provided a very personal glimpse into the life of the lady who was running the great city at that time.
And Kansas City is a great city - one where everything was, is, and always will be up-to-date!
Congratulations, Kansas City, on recruiting a top flight candidate for mayor - and give 'em hell, Jason!
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