roadmaster
10-02-2018, 06:36 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Kander, a rising star in Democratic politics who narrowly lost a 2016 Senate bid, dropped out of the race for mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday so he could get help for post-traumatic stress and depression that he said he has suffered from for more than a decade.
Kander, 37, said in an announcement Tuesday that he has tried since leaving the military to ignore his symptoms but finally decided it was time to step away from politics and concentrate on becoming healthy.
“So after 11 years of trying to outrun depression and PTSD symptoms, I have finally concluded that it’s faster than me,” Kander said. “That I have to stop running, turn around, and confront it.”
Kander, a former Army intelligence officer, said he contacted the Veterans Administration for help about four months ago but his condition worsened and he recently called the VA hospital to say he has had suicidal thoughts. He said he went to the VA Monday and began the process of getting treatment.
Kander was considered a likely favorite in the 2019 Kansas City mayoral race. He lost by 3 percentage points to incumbent Republican Roy Blunt in Missouri’s 2016 Senate race — a strong showing in a state Republican Donald Trump carried by 19 percentage points.
Blunt said in a statement Tuesday that it is important to talk about mental health issues.
https://apnews.com/e72b085f44dd406993bf292bad057bf1?utm_medium=APCent ralRegion&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow
Kander, 37, said in an announcement Tuesday that he has tried since leaving the military to ignore his symptoms but finally decided it was time to step away from politics and concentrate on becoming healthy.
“So after 11 years of trying to outrun depression and PTSD symptoms, I have finally concluded that it’s faster than me,” Kander said. “That I have to stop running, turn around, and confront it.”
Kander, a former Army intelligence officer, said he contacted the Veterans Administration for help about four months ago but his condition worsened and he recently called the VA hospital to say he has had suicidal thoughts. He said he went to the VA Monday and began the process of getting treatment.
Kander was considered a likely favorite in the 2019 Kansas City mayoral race. He lost by 3 percentage points to incumbent Republican Roy Blunt in Missouri’s 2016 Senate race — a strong showing in a state Republican Donald Trump carried by 19 percentage points.
Blunt said in a statement Tuesday that it is important to talk about mental health issues.
https://apnews.com/e72b085f44dd406993bf292bad057bf1?utm_medium=APCent ralRegion&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow