Chicago Mayor winner?
$38.3K
FEB 24, 2027
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleState Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
GenderMale
LocationIllinois
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BackgroundIllinois State Representative (26th District)
EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign — B.A., Political Science
Notable personal detailsKambium “Kam” Buckner is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 26th District (first appointed/sworn in 2019) and was a candidate in the 2023 Chicago mayoral election. He has worked in public service and in sports-related civic organizations, including serving as executive director of World Sport Chicago and working for the Chicago Cubs in government and neighborhood relations. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and a J.D. from DePaul University.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports targeted tax increases on high-value actors (billionaires, large events/streaming) and expanded assistance for modest-income families (child tax credit), while opposing broad taxes on most residents and some business head taxes. Advocates fiscal responsibility and transparency in public spending and uses tax policy to fund transit and social programs.
Healthcare
Supports expanding access to affordable healthcare through state reforms, protections against insurer abuses, and targeted public program expansions (including Medicaid-related maternal health supports and measures to lower prescription and insurance costs). Has sponsored and backed state legislation to curb premium increases, limit short-term plans, stop step-therapy abuses, and expand maternal and caregiver supports under Medicaid.
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Immigration & Border
Supports welcoming migrants and expanding local/state responses rather than treating recent arrivals as a crisis; places primary responsibility for immigration policy on the federal government while urging state and city action (especially housing) to absorb newcomers. Advocates pragmatic reforms to accommodate migrants (e.g., more housing capacity) rather than enforcement-first measures.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Kam Buckner has publicly supported protecting and expanding access to reproductive health care, including co-sponsoring the Illinois Reproductive Health Care Act and actions to make reproductive health medications and emergency contraception more accessible. He has described bodily autonomy and reproductive rights as important protections to preserve in Illinois. His legislative and public statements emphasize keeping Illinois a haven for reproductive rights and expanding maternal and reproductive health services.
Climate & Energy
Supports state- and city-level clean energy measures, workforce development for green jobs, electrification of transit (CTA and school buses), and implementation of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act to move Illinois toward clean energy. Emphasizes equity in the transition and incentives for environmentally conscious businesses.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports significant firearm restrictions including Illinois’ assault-weapons ban and laws targeting untraceable “ghost guns,” and has sponsored legislation to regulate/serialize ghost guns and tighten law-enforcement hiring to improve public safety.
News
Kam Buckner is mentioned as one of the candidates in the 2026 Illinois primary, as multiple contenders seek higher office ahead of the March 17 primary. He also appears in coverage about Chicago’s South Side school challenges, in a broader discussion of efforts like Project H.O.O.D. to push literacy-focused reforms similar to those credited with gains in Mississippi.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising