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Jason Kander Opens Up About His PTSD So Others Know Recovery Is Possible

By Steve Kraske,

Published December 3, 2020 at 7:01 PM CST

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Jason Kander dropped out of the 2019 Kansas City mayoral race after revealing his struggles with PTSD and depression.

The former Army captain and Missouri secretary of state shares updates about his mental health, political career and more.

Since Jason Kander narrowly lost his bid for one of Missouri's U.S. Senate seats in 2016, he's focused on fighting voter suppression and helping veterans in need. Kander has been very public with his own PTSD and depression, which caused him to drop out of the 2019 Kansas City mayoral race. "If you look at portrayals of post-traumatic stress in the media ... most are people battling it," Kander said.

Jason Kander, president of national expansion for the Veterans Community Project and former Missouri secretary of state

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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Liam Mays

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