Kam Buckner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kam Buckner
Buckner in 2022
Speaker pro tempore of the Illinois House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2025
Preceded by	Jehan Gordon-Booth
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 26th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 18, 2019
Preceded by	Christian Mitchell
Personal details
Born	Kambium Elijah Buckner (1985-05-12) May 12, 1985 (age 40) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BA) DePaul University (JD)
Signature
College football career
No. 59
Position	Offensive tackle Defensive line
Class	2007
Personal information
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	280 lb (127 kg)
Career history
College	Illinois Fighting Illini (2003–2007)
High school	Morgan Park (Chicago, Illinois)

Kambium Elijah "Kam" Buckner (born May 12, 1985) is an American politician and lawyer. He is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 26th district in Chicago. This area includes neighborhoods like Bronzeville, Downtown, Gold Coast, and Hyde Park.

Before becoming a politician, Buckner played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team. He has held several leadership roles in the Illinois government, including Assistant Majority Leader. He currently serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore, which means he helps lead the House of Representatives.

In 2023, he ran for mayor of Chicago but was not elected in the first round.

Early Life and School

Kam Buckner grew up on the South Side of Chicago and went to Morgan Park High School. He later attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. There, he played on the Fighting Illini football team. Some of his teammates, like Vontae Davis and Rashard Mendenhall, later played in the NFL.

After college, Buckner earned a law degree from DePaul University College of Law.

Career Before Politics

Buckner started his career working for U.S. Senator Dick Durbin in Washington, D.C. He also worked as an advisor to the mayor of New Orleans.

From 2013 to 2015, he worked for the Chicago Cubs baseball team. He helped manage government relations for the big renovation project at Wrigley Field. After that, he became the Executive Director of World Sport Chicago. This non-profit organization was created after Chicago tried to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Buckner has also taught at the University of Chicago and has written for news outlets like The Hill and Crain's Chicago Business.

Illinois House of Representatives

Buckner was appointed to the Illinois House of Representatives on January 18, 2019. He was elected to a full term in 2020. In the House, he has been a leader, serving as the chairman of the Illinois House Black Caucus and as an Assistant Majority Leader.

He has been involved in passing important laws. For example, he helped create a law about public safety and policing called the SAFE-T Act. He also worked on a law to change the Chicago Board of Education into an elected school board, giving parents more say in their children's schools.

Another law he supported allows college athletes to be paid when their name or image is used. He also worked on laws related to clean energy and making sure "ghost guns" (guns without serial numbers) are properly tracked.

What are his main goals as a lawmaker?

As a representative, Buckner focuses on several key areas. He works on laws to protect people, improve education, and ensure public safety.

Education

Buckner believes all public schools in Illinois should have fair funding. He wants to make sure schools in Chicago get the right amount of money based on what their students need. He also supports programs for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in neighborhoods with lower incomes.

Protecting People

Buckner has worked to protect people from unfair practices. He sponsored a bill to stop financial companies from mailing out high-interest loan checks that people didn't ask for.

He also introduced a law to protect citizens' privacy. This law makes it illegal for police to run background checks on people who sign up to speak at public meetings. He believes everyone should have the right to speak freely without being secretly investigated.

Gun Safety

Buckner is a strong supporter of gun safety laws. He has shared his own experiences with gun violence to call for new solutions. He believes that improving mental health services, education, and economic opportunities can help reduce gun violence.

2023 Campaign for Mayor of Chicago

Kam Buckner's 2023 mayoral campaign logo

On May 12, 2022, Buckner announced he was running for mayor of Chicago. His campaign focused on improving public safety, schools, and the city's budget. He also talked a lot about making public transportation better for everyone.

Buckner did not win the election. He came in seventh place out of nine candidates. After the first round, he supported Brandon Johnson, who went on to win the election.

His campaign announcement video, called “Son of Chicago,” was nominated for a regional Emmy award.

Personal Life

Buckner comes from a family with a history in music. His father was a lead singer in a soul group in the 1970s. He is also a cousin of the famous singer and actress Jennifer Hudson and the gospel group The Staples Singers.

He co-hosts a weekly podcast about Fighting Illini football with former quarterback Juice Williams.

Buckner is married to Bernardette Salgado-Buckner, and they have a son.

Electoral history

State representative

Mayor