Name Mike Sanders Role Missouri politician | Education Ohio State University | |
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Mike Sanders (born March 18, 1967) is a Democratic Party politician in Independence, Missouri who was a Jackson County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney from 2002 to 2006 and Jackson County executive from 2007 to 2015.
Personal life and education
Sanders was born in Kansas City, Missouri. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, he set out for law school at The Ohio State University. However, after a semester, he volunteered to serve the nation in the military during the Gulf War era. He was a commissioned officer in the United States Army, rising to the rank of first lieutenant.
Upon completing his military service, Sanders resumed his studies and earned his Juris Doctorate from the OSU School of Law in 1994.
Sanders served as an assistant Jackson County prosecutor from 1994 to 1997 when he entered private practice. In 2002 he was elected prosecutor and was re-elected in 2004.
In 2006, Sanders was elected Jackson County executive defeating Charles Wheeler. He was elected to a second term, and ran for a third term in 2014.