Kam Buckner

Kambium Elijah "Kam" Buckner (born May 12, 1985) is an American politician and attorney who serves as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 26th district. The district, located entirely in Chicago, includes neighborhoods such as Bronzeville, Downtown, Gold Coast, and Hyde Park, among others. Buckner is the past chair of the Illinois House Black Caucus and Assistant Majority Leader for the House Democratic Caucus. He currently serves as Speaker Pro Tempore and budgeteer. In college, he played football for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team as an offensive tackle and defensive lineman.

He was a candidate in the 2023 Chicago mayoral election, but lost in the first round.

Early life and education Buckner was raised on the South Side of Chicago, and attended Morgan Park High School. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he played for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team and was a teammate of future NFL standouts Vontae Davis, Kelvin Hayden, Pierre Thomas, and Rashard Mendenhall. While at the University of Illinois he became a member of Omega Psi Phi. From 2013 to 2015, he led government and neighborhood relations for the Chicago Cubs, helping drive the $575 million privately funded Wrigley Field renovation known as the 1060 Project.

On January 8, 2017, Governor Bruce Rauner appointed Buckner to the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University for a term expiring January 15, 2023.

Buckner has taught at University of Chicago and has been a contributor for The Hill and Crain's Chicago Business. Since 2015, he has also served as vice president of governmental affairs for Outfront Media. In the 2020 election, he was re-elected unopposed to a two-year term. In December 2020, he was elected as chairman of the Illinois House Black Caucus. In 2022, he became Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives. In 2023, A.D. Quig of the Chicago Tribune characterized Buckner as an active member of the Illinois House of Representatives, writing that Buckner,

Mayor 2023 Chicago mayoral election Candidate General election Runoff election Votes % Votes % Brandon Johnson 122,093 21.63 319,481 52.16 Paul Vallas 185,743 32.90 293,033 47.84 Lori Lightfoot (incumbent) 94,890 16.81 Chuy García 77,222 13.68 Willie Wilson 51,567 9.13 Ja'Mal Green 12,257 2.17 Kam Buckner 11,092 1.96 Sophia King 7,191 1.27 Roderick Sawyer 2,440 0.43 Write-ins 29 0.00 Total 564,524 100.00 612,514 100.00