After narrowly losing a Senate race in deep-red Missouri, Jewish politician Jason Kander is heading back to the ballot box, this time as the head of a new group protecting voting rights.

The organization, Let America Vote, will fight so-called “voter identification laws,” passed in red states to fight the almost non-existent problem of voter fraud. Pushed by Republican legislatures, these bills have made it harder for constituencies seen as leaning Democrat, including students, minorities, the poor and the young, to access the polls.

“Voting in our country has never been easy, and unfortunately it’s never been guaranteed for everyone,” Kander said in a statement. “Let America Vote will make the case for voting rights by exposing the real motivations of those who favor voter suppression laws. For the first time, politicians intent on denying certain Americans the right to vote will first have to consider the political consequences.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Kander, who served previously as Missouri’s secretary of state, will have a board stocked with liberal grandees, including Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, former White House spokesman Josh Earnest and Martin Luther King III. Kander is seen as a rising star within the Democratic Party, due to his youth, military service and ability to appeal to red state voters.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount