Kambium Buckner
2019 - Present
2027
6
Kambium Buckner (Democratic Party) (also known as Kam) is a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing District 26. He assumed office in 2019. His current term ends on January 13, 2027.
Buckner (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 26. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Kambium Buckner earned a high school diploma from Morgan Park High School, obtained a B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. As a college student, Buckner interned for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). He previously worked as executive director of World Sport Chicago and as manager of neighborhood and government relations for the Chicago Cubs.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Buckner was assigned to the following committees:
- House Executive Committee
- House Higher Education Committee
- Judiciary - Civil Committee
- Judiciary - Criminal Committee
- Tourism Committee, Vice Chairperson
2021-2022
Buckner was assigned to the following committees:
- House Executive Committee
- House Higher Education Committee
- Judiciary - Civil Committee
- Judiciary - Criminal Committee
- Tourism Committee, Vice-Chair
2019-2020
Buckner was assigned to the following committees:
- Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee
- House Higher Education Committee
- Judiciary - Criminal Committee
- Transportation: Vehicles & Safety Committee
- Child Care Accessibility & Early Childhood Education Committee
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Kambium Buckner defeated Audrey Barrett in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 26 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kambium Buckner (D) | 81.6 | 30,735 | |
| Audrey Barrett (R) | 18.4 | 6,952 | ||
| Total votes: 37,687 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Kambium Buckner advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kambium Buckner | 100.0 | 10,724 | |
| Total votes: 10,724 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26
Audrey Barrett advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Audrey Barrett | 100.0 | 1,054 | |
| Total votes: 1,054 | ||||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Buckner in this election.
2023
See also: Mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois (2023)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of Chicago
Brandon Johnson defeated Paul Vallas in the general runoff election for Mayor of Chicago on April 4, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 52.2 | 319,481 | |
| Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 47.8 | 293,033 | ||
| Total votes: 612,514 | ||||
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General election
General election for Mayor of Chicago
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Chicago on February 28, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Paul Vallas (Nonpartisan) | 32.9 | 185,743 | |
| ✔ | Brandon Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 21.6 | 122,093 | |
| Lori Lightfoot (Nonpartisan) | 16.8 | 94,890 | ||
| Jesus Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 13.7 | 77,222 | ||
| Willie Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 9.1 | 51,567 | ||
| Ja'Mal Green (Nonpartisan) | 2.2 | 12,257 | ||
| Kambium Buckner (Nonpartisan) | 2.0 | 11,092 | ||
| Sophia King (Nonpartisan) | 1.3 | 7,191 | ||
| Roderick Sawyer (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 2,440 | ||
| Johnny Logalbo (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 15 | ||
| Keith Judge (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 5 | ||
| Stephen Hodge (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 4 | ||
| Ryan Friedman (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 3 | ||
| Stephanie Ann Mustari (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Bridgett Palmer (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Total votes: 564,524 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Montelle Gaji (Nonpartisan)
- Raymond Lopez (Nonpartisan)
- Frederick Collins (Nonpartisan)
2022
See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Kambium Buckner won election in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 26 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kambium Buckner (D) | 100.0 | 24,017 | |
| Total votes: 24,017 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Kambium Buckner advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26 on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kambium Buckner | 100.0 | 10,531 | |
| Total votes: 10,531 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2020
See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Kambium Buckner defeated Ranoule Tatum in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 26 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kambium Buckner (D) | 100.0 | 41,804 | |
| Ranoule Tatum (Independent) | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Total votes: 41,805 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Kambium Buckner advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 26 on March 17, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kambium Buckner | 100.0 | 17,378 | |
| Total votes: 17,378 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Marc Loveless (D)
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kambium Buckner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2023
Kambium Buckner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Buckner's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Buckner is the Chair of the Illinois House Legislative Black Caucus and Co-Democratic Whip.
He is a native Chicagoan who is the son of a law enforcement officer and a Chicago Public School teacher. He holds a BA from the University of Illinois, where he was also a scholarship football player and a JD from Depaul University College of Law.
He spent a number of years on the staff of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans. He also led Government Affairs for Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs and ran the Youth Based Sports Development Organization World Sport Chicago. He formerly taught Public Policy at the University of Chicago. and served on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University from 2016 through 2018.
He is married to the former Bernardette Salgado and they have one son, Kastillo.- FROM CHICAGO. FOR CHICAGO. I am running for Mayor because we cannot wait a day longer for a safe and just Chicago for all of us. Now is the time to invest in Chicago’s schools and their future, to give our children more pathways to success. I grew up on Chicago’s South Side. My dad was a law enforcement officer and my mom was a public school teacher. They were both role models for children in our neighborhood. My parents taught me the values of safety, justice, and education. They taught me the highest calling is serving others: keeping your community safe and enriching your community’s knowledge. We need a Mayor who can bring people together to get things done. I will be that mayor for Chicago.
- At the heart of public safety is access to safe, reliable public transportation. The current administration has not prioritized investing in infrastructure, making our streets safer, or maintaining CTA service levels, and the community has suffered. Ghost buses run rampant, security is lacking, schedules are inconsistent; these issues lead to a myriad of other problems. Over 25% of Chicago households don’t have cars, and it’s time we invest in the public transit and road infrastructure we need to support our city. As State Representative, I lead the charge to get 20 percent of the state’s motor fuel tax increase dedicated to transit, 90 percent of which comes to Chicago. No one has successfully gotten that much funding for transit in ye
- Environmental justice and sustainability is an existential issue that needs a dedicated plan, innovative thinking, and bold solutions to tackle. That commitment needs to begin in the Mayor’s office with real leadership, and extend to City Council and Departments across the city to create a solution that is comprehensive, thorough, and effective. As Mayor, I am committed to bringing together the team and the solutions Chicago needs to begin tackling climate change head-on. I have a proven track record fighting for the kinds of solutions that can make a difference on climate change. I founded the Lake Shore Caucus to address erosion issues on Lake Michigan and create solutions across our state. I was a co-sponsor on the Climate and Equitabl
Crime, and homicides in particular, is the worst it’s been since 1996. In 2021 a staggering 797
people were murdered, and shootings have gone up 53% since 2018. Carjackings–happening in
neighborhoods across the city–have increased over 200% from 2019.
I’m running for Mayor to make Chicago safe. We need a plan, and we need a Mayor who can
collaborate to get it done. Pulling up drawbridges is not the answer. We need to build bridges to all
77 of Chicago’s neighborhoods.
In the pages that follow, you’ll read my plan to bring a balanced approach to safety and justice
that tackles crime now, but also addresses the root causes of crime.
I’m the son of a law enforcement officer and a teacher. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when
folks like my parents serve as protectors and role models for our community. I learned from both
of them that I wanted to help my community and fight for both justice and safety.
As a Black kid from the South Side, I also know what it’s like to lay face down on a wet pavement,
handcuffed, because a police officer said I “fit a description.” I also know what it feels like to lose
family members to gun violence in this city and to have dedicated detectives working day and
night to bring our family justice. We must do a better job of making our citizens feel seen, heard
and safe.
I’ve been fighting for my neighbors in Springfield for the past four years. I’ve been a leader in
passing reforms to keep untraceable ‘ghost guns’ off our streets and enhance police training, all
while working together to improve the criminal justice system. I know what it takes to do this work
and get these changes across the finish line.
Chicago will be the national gold standard for both constitutional, community-based policing
and robust community investment. My plan will strengthen the existing public safety and justice
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2022
Kambium Buckner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Kambium Buckner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Illinois scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 16 to May 29.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 11 to May 27.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 5 to April 9.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 13 to June 1.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 8 to May 23.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Illinois State Legislature was in session from January 9 through December 31.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Illinois House of Representatives District 26 |
Officeholder Illinois House of Representatives District 26 |
Personal |
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Illinois House of Representatives District 26 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
