She worked two jobs to put herself through college, became an eye surgeon, and made history as the first woman ever to run Texas's oldest state agency.
A seventh-generation Texan, Buckingham graduated magna cum laude from UT and earned her MD debt-free. She practiced as an oculoplastic surgeon alongside her physician husband before turning to politics. Sworn in January 2023, she is the first woman in Texas history to serve as Land Commissioner.
Buckingham’s take on Texas values
Buckingham helped pass the law that banned drive-thru and 24-hour voting — options that greatly increased turnout in Black and Latino areas during the pandemic. She calls banning these voter conveniences 'election integrity'; but it's clearly voter suppression.