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 current Assistant Majority Leader for the House Democratic Caucus. 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 players Vontae Davis, Kelvin Hayden, Pierre Thomas, and Rashard Mendenhall. While at the University of Illinois he became a member of Omega Psi Phi. Buckner later earned a J.D. degree from the DePaul University College of Law. Early career Buckner began his political career as an aide