Jared grew up as the second child in a family of seven. His family lived in several states, including Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and California. This gave Jared the opportunity to make friends who had a variety of backgrounds and demographics. Jared married Christine Mortensen in 2008, and they have six children. They moved to Missouri from Washington D.C. in 2015 and have found it a wonderful place to raise their family.
Since coming to Missouri, Jared has been an active volunteer in the community, including serving on the board of the local Boys and Girls Club and in a variety of positions at his church. These positions have given him a first-hand perspective on the challenges associated with generational poverty in Missouri—both for those experiencing the poverty and for those trying to help people out of poverty.
Jared spent his early 20s learning as much as he could about both our country and the rest of the world. He did internships in every branch of government, which gave him a first-hand look at how our cities, states, and our country really operate. He spent time living in Europe and the Middle East, which gave him a deep love for diverse cultures, but also increased his appreciation for the exceptionalism of the U.S. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Middle East Studies and Arabic from BYU and a law degree from Harvard.
After Harvard, Jared spent a brief stint at a DC law firm before being recruited to run a business in Joplin, Missouri. His business experience over the past eight years has allowed him to get to know business owners all over Missouri. It has also helped him develop a deep understanding of how government regulation impacts businesses—for better and for worse.
All these experiences have prepared Jared for public service as a U.S. senator. His unique combination of international experience, legal knowledge, business acumen, and empathy for the downtrodden will make him a knowledgeable and compassionate senator who can tackle the challenges this country faces.