M. Cameron Davis, a Democratic commissioner on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board, is running for one of three seats in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. MWRD manages wastewater treatment and stormwater for Cook County, according to the district's website.
The race fills an unexpired term, and voters choose up to three candidates.
Davis has served as a commissioner since 2018 and chairs the district's Industrial Waste & Water Pollution and Public Health & Welfare committees, according to MWRD's website. He also serves as vice chairman of the Judiciary and Real Estate Development committees.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Education: Bachelor's degree in international relations, Boston University; J.D., Illinois Institute of Technology (1992); certificate in environmental and energy law, Chicago-Kent College of Law (1992)
- Personal: Davis is an organic blueberry farmer with his wife and two children, according to MWRD's website. He is the author of "Confluence: Genoir® of An American Family, The Better Part of Valor."
Experience and public service
The Obama administration appointed Davis to coordinate the work of 11 federal departments on Great Lakes matters, a role informally known as "Great Lakes Czar," according to MWRD's website. He served as a senior adviser at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2009 to 2017, according to BallotReady. His responsibilities included coordinating more than $2 billion in investments to state, municipal, tribal, business and civic stakeholders for contaminated sediment cleanups, invasive species prevention, habitat restoration and runoff reduction, Davis said on MWRD's website.
Before that, Davis served as president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes from 1998 to 2009. Under his leadership, the organization established the Adopt-a-Beach® program and won the American Bar Association's Distinguished Award in Environmental Law & Policy, according to MWRD's website.
Davis said he helped draft the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact and testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to pass it. He also said he helped draft legislation authorizing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Great Lakes Legacy Act. He served as co-chair of the Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee from 2009 to 2017, Davis said in his WTTW voter guide response. Earlier in his career, he worked as an attorney and regional executive at the National Wildlife Federation from 1992 to 1998.
On the issues
Water reuse and Lake Michigan protection: Davis said he promotes recycled water as a more cost-effective alternative to withdrawing clean water from Lake Michigan. "Lake Michigan water belongs in Lake Michigan," Davis said in his WTTW voter guide response.
Polluter-pays policies: Davis said he has pushed for mechanisms to shift the financial burden of contaminants such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals from Cook County taxpayers to manufacturers. Some of those efforts have resulted in bills before the state legislature, including HB 2955, Davis said. He also said he has led the effort for MWRD to use drug take-back programs paid for by pharmaceutical manufacturers under Illinois law.
Flood reduction: Davis said he supports reducing flooding, especially in vulnerable communities, according to his campaign website.
Green infrastructure: Davis said he has led the effort to expand green infrastructure from Chicago schools to suburban schoolyards.
Prevailing-wage jobs: Davis said he supports prevailing-wage jobs, according to his campaign website.
Endorsements
The following endorsements were claimed by the endorsers, according to BallotReady:
- Cook County Democrats
- Illinois Sierra Club
- IUOE Local 150
- Citizen Action Illinois
- Northside Democracy for America
Candidate issue positions are drawn from Davis's responses to the WTTW voter guide questionnaire and his campaign website (via BallotReady). Biographical details are sourced from MWRD's website.
