State Rep. Kam Buckner Announces Plans To Run For Chicago Mayor

CHICAGO — State Rep. Kam Buckner jumped in the Chicago mayor's race.

Buckner told Block Club Chicago that he plans to formally announce his campaign Thursday in the South Loop. Ald. Raymond Lopez and businessman Willie Wilson also announced plans to challenged Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot

Buckner, who played college football at University of Illinois, was appointed to his seat in 2019, and won re-election in 2020. He represents a House district that stretches from the South Side to the Gold Coast along the lakefront.

In March, Buckner pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge, which, if successfully completed, allows him to avoid possible jail time. His discharged sentence is set to expire about a month after the mayoral election in February. It was his second DUI conviction in Illinois.

"It's not something that I'm proud of, but I also will say I'm not embarrassed by it," told Patch last month. "What would be embarrassing is if it happened, and I learned nothing from it, and I didn't think it set me on a path to be a better person."