Jason Kander barely won a spot in the state capital as Missouri's newest secretary of state. His victory marks a unique place in American politics. When Kander takes office in January, he will be the youngest statewide elected official in the United States. The previous youngest official was Matt Schultz who has been Iowa's secretary of state for two years, according to the Huffington Post.
* Kander is 31 years old and was a representative to the Missouri General Assembly before running for secretary of state. Schultz is 33 and was elected to statewide office in Iowa in 2010. The Missourian is a Democrat while Schultz is a Republican.
* The second-youngest statewide official is Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican. Both Mandel and Schultz are backed by tea party groups.
* Kander has some major shoes to fill. He will replace Robin Carnahan, who is retiring after this term. Carnahan is the daughter of late Gov. Mel Carnahan and former Sen. Jean Carnahan. The Carnahan family is considered a political dynasty in Missouri going back to the 1950s.
* The Huffington Post notes the only governor under the age of 40 is Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. The media outlet notes eight statewide officials under the age of 40 that currently hold office. That number changes in January when Kander goes to Jefferson City, Mo.
* Kander won his spot with 1,298,022 votes on Nov. 6. Republican Shane Schoeller earned 1,258,937 votes. The victor had 48.9 percent to the challenger's 47.4 percent and margin of slightly more than 39,000 votes. By comparison, Libertarian candidate Cisse W. Spragins received 70,814 votes.
* Kander is an Army veteran from the Iraq War. He attained the rank of captain while in the service and is an attorney by trade. His wife, Diana, is a small business owner in the Kansas City area.
* The Army captain was one of 10 finalists for the 2010 Army Reserve Junior Officer of the Year award. Kander was elected as a state representative in 2008 and again in 2010.
* The incoming secretary of state was an Army intelligence officer in the reserves. He enlisted after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His commanding officer touted Kander's "willingness to volunteer for dangerous duty," according to his campaign website.
* The Associated Press revealed it wasn't just Kander's election that was close. As of Dec. 1, the candidate had slightly more than $5,000 in his campaign account after the election.
William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics.
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