The week after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and a delegation of 45 other Chicago notables met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican, another Chicago politician got to meet the pope too.
Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Illinois) met Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square. Buckner gave the pope a No. 14 Illini jersey with the name "Leo" on the back.
Buckner played offensive tackle and defensive lineman for University of Illinois football. He went on to earn a B.A. in political science from the U of I and a J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.
Buckner was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2019. He ran in the mayoral contest that Mayor Johnson ultimately won in 2023.
Region: Chicago,Politics,City: Chicago
via Politics – CBS Chicago https://ift.tt/Sy4bmYv
June 3, 2026 at 03:35PM
Illinois Delivered 