Former Uber executive running for Kansas secretary of state

A former Uber and Google executive is running for the Democratic nomination for Kansas secretary of state.

Brian McClendon's announcement Monday is a sign that Democrats are making a serious run at a statewide office held by an early Kansas supporter of President Donald Trump.

Republican incumbent Kris Kobach is running for governor this year. He was vice chairman of Trump's recently disbanded election fraud commission.

The 53-year-old McClendon said Trump's election helped spur him to leave Silicon Valley, return to his hometown of Lawrence and consider a run for public office.

McClendon left Uber last year after nearly two years as a vice president. Before that, he was Google's vice president of engineering for nearly 11 years.

He is a University of Kansas research professor who advises startup firms.