Dawn Buckingham

Dawn Buckingham

Texas Land Commissioner

Dawn Buckingham is Land Commissioner of Texas. She was elected in November 2022 and sworn in on January 10, 2023. She was a state Senator from 2017 to 2023. She worked as a surgeon before being elected Land Commissioner. She is the first woman in the state of Texas history to serve as Land Commissioner.

Dawn came from humble roots—growing up poor off the Texas coast and then on a ranch in Central Texas. But she has never settled for less than her dreams. Wanting to attend college, but without the money to do so, Dawn lived at home, working two jobs to pay her own way through college at UT-Austin. With endurance of spirit she graduated Magna Cum Laude and debt-free. It was during college that she met the love of her life and husband of 30 years, Ed Buckingham. Dawn and Ed both received their medical degrees from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and they have two children. Her commitment to service and recognition for her work has allowed her to hold leadership positions in local, state, and national medical organizations.

Dawn embodies the American Dream. Through hard work, a “never quit” attitude, and perseverance, she has risen above her circumstances and has become a self-made small business owner who employs Texans, serves others in her profession and as an elected official, and gives back to her community.