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Candidates › NC-12 race › 2025–2026
Alma S. Adams
D Democratic nominee for U.S. House, NC-12
Representative since 2014
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The same platforms’ other accounts, such as a congressional office’s or an earlier campaign’s.
- On the ballot
- On the general election ballotNov 3, 2026 · North Carolina US House 12
- Where to vote
- Find your polling place (opens in a new tab) · More ways to vote
- Top priorities
- Standing Up For Women
- Improving Public Education and Higher Education
- Fighting for Better Healthcare
- Seniors
- Fighting For Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities For All
- In Congress
- Representative since 2014 · votes with their party 99% of the time. See the record · Office phone 202-225-1510
- Money
- $483.4K raised, $572.8K spent, $484K cash on hand (through Oct 14, 2026). Where it comes from
- Who gives
- 14% of individual money from donors at $200 or less · 74% from North Carolina · largest committee giver AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL ACTION, $10K
- Outside groups
- $10 supporting Adams
- Sponsored most in
- Agriculture and Food, Education, Health
12 priorities from almaadamsforcongress.com, in the order they are listed there. Every heading and the text under it is copied exactly, as one passage for each page it is from, and links to that place on the page; hover a source to see which passage it opens.
I will always fight for a woman’s right to choose and the right to privacy. Reproductive issues are health care issues, and they should be kept private between a woman and her doctor. Despite all our progress, women are still fighting for equal health care, equal pay, equal representation, equal respect, and equal rights.
When the Supreme Court struck down Roe, it took reproductive health care decisions from women. I will continue to fight to ensure women’s rights are restored and protected.
I will continue to support legislation that would provide paid family and medical leave benefits, making it easier for women who want to work and need to work to support her family or pursue her education is able to do so.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com
- Led the fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to make it easier for women to know when they are being discriminated against and to prevent retaliation against women who ask questions about their pay in relation to their male colleagues.
- As co-founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, successfully pushed to include the Momnibus (H.R.959 / S.346), in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act which will now provide $1.1 billion to address the maternal health crisis.
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As a retired educator, I have seen first-hand the impact a great education can have on a young person’s life. I will always be a champion for public schools, our teachers, our children and our Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I want to make sure our HBCUs not only survive but thrive. That’s why in 2019 I sponsored and introduced H.R. 5363, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act that permanently provides funding totaling $255 million a year for all Minority-Serving Institutions, including $85 million for HBCUs.
In 2023, I introduced The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, which would be an historic investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities nationwide and would provide the necessary infrastructure (physical and personnel) improvements at our HBCUs.
As a Stakeholder Representative for North Carolina’s 12th district, I want to make sure Charlotte’s students have every opportunity to succeed — from strong public schools to affordable colleges, to the federal support our families rely on. I’ll continue to stand up for student aid, for HBCUs, and for an education system that leaves no child behind.
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Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.” The United States has the worst maternal health outcomes, including mortality and morbidity, out of all other developed nations. Black women are three to four times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related complication compared to white women. That’s why I co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus and why I’m fighting for the Momnibus, a package of 14 bills focused on improving maternal health outcomes and closing the disparity gap. My Stillbirth Prevention Act became law this year which will expand funding for research and prevention and I’m working to pass the Endometriosis Care Act.
I continue to support a single-payer health care system and an expansion to tax credits to help citizens afford health insurance and have fought for several decades to ensure North Carolina expansion of Medicaid that was finally expanded in 2024. I believe health care is a basic human right that should be accessible and affordable for all our citizens.
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Heading as listed on almaadamsforcongress.com ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com at this heading)
We must keep our promise to our seniors in the form of Medicare and Social Security. I’ll fight against any attempt to privatize Social Security or defund Medicare.
Keeping our promise to our seniors in the form of Medicare and Social Security should be a top priority. They have paid into these programs their entire working lives so we cannot raid the benefits which they have already earned.
In Congress, Alma Adams will be an outspoken advocate for protecting and funding Social Security and Medicare.
Affordable Housing for Seniors ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/issues at this heading)
- Secured millions of dollars through community project funding for affordable housing developments across the Charlotte area. This includes housing for our senior residents who have paid their dues to our country.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues
It’s time for Congress to act, restore the Voting Rights Act, and take action to prevent voter disenfranchisement. As your Congresswoman, I will stand up to the extremists in the Republican Party to ensure civil rights are protected for everyone.
We must do more for civil rights pertaining to all minorities, women, and the LGBT community. Alma is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act in Congress.
The number one concern at the federal level is the Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned critical sections of the Voting Rights Act.
Specifically, Congress needs to rework Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 so that Section 5 (still existing) can be applicable. Section 4 sets out the criteria that is necessary for the Voting Rights Act to be implemented; changes have occurred in voting patterns since the act was implemented so the criteria need to be revisited and reworked.
Every day, people of color and immigrants, and other members of marginalized communities experience discrimination, intimidation, harassment, and violence. Hate, both speech and crimes, endures in America. This reflects a dangerous rise in white supremacist terrorism that threatens all of us. Congress can and must play a role to address the increase in hate crimes. Alma voted for the Emmitt Till Anti-lynching Act and she will support efforts to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), ensuring that they’re enforcing federal hate crime laws and aggressively prosecuting white supremacist violence. We can allocate more resources to state and local law enforcement agencies to accurately track and report hate crimes, and we can continue to speak out against hateful, racist rhetoric and actions.
One of the ways Alma hopes to reinstate the Voting Rights Act, end voter suppression, and expand opportunities for all Americans is by supporting and passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. [H.R.4]. The Act assures that the right of citizens to vote is not denied or abridged on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group as a result of the implementation of certain qualifications or prerequisites to voting, or standards, practices, or procedures with respect to voting. This includes making sure that voting materials are available in a multitude of languages.
Helping Charlotte ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/issues at this heading)
- Secured $3 billion to provide high-speed Internet for more than 300,000 homes and businesses, and $166 million to improve the Charlotte Area Transit System and the Charlotte airport.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues
As a proud parent, I know how tough it can be balancing work and family responsibilities. We must do more to help our working families succeed both at work and at home.
As Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, Alma Adams’s number one focus is to expand benefits for our workers. The top priority must be expanding and strengthening our paid family leave laws in this country. Currently, the U.S. ranks near the bottom of industrialized nations in terms of its family leave, and even the laws we do have on the books are not enough to keep many people from falling through the cracks.
The Family and Medical Leave Act is an important piece of legislation, but Alma would like to see companies offer family leave benefits beyond the FMLA. Alma believes we need to set the standard for paid parental leave around the world.
Alma will also work to increase the availability of affordable child care services. She will always ensure American workers are given a fair chance to succeed in today’s economy. She is a strong proponent of raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation so that people who work for a living are less likely to live in poverty.
When Washington Failed, Congresswoman Adams Acted:
- Hosted the Charlotte Matters webinar series to keep residents informed.
- Led letters demanding the restoration of federal funds for education and food programs.
- Visited local food pantries and community centers to support families directly affected.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues
We must protect our most precious resource, our environment, for future generations.
Alma Adams received the highest grade of 100 from the League of Conservation Voters in their most recent legislative scorecard. She has been endorsed by the Friends of the Earth Action. Alma will always work to protect our land and water resources. She understands that we must do more to combat climate change by supporting investments in more renewable energy sources and green technology. This will protect and preserve our environment for our children and grandchildren, while also creating millions of jobs in North Carolina.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues
The assault on the working class and the poor is appalling and it needs to stop. I will work hard every day to eliminate hunger and combat poverty. We must do more to lift up our fellow brothers and sisters.
Alma Adams will stand up to those who want to cut unemployment benefits, food stamps, and other programs designed to help the poor and working families. These programs are a hand-up, not a handout.
Ending hunger is one of Alma’s most important priorities. She helped ensure children would continue to receive free and reduced school breakfast and lunch during the pandemic through her bill, the FEED the Children Act.
One of her first priorities in Congress was to form the Adams Hunger Initiative. The Initiative brings together key stakeholders to address hunger and food insecurity and works together with local agencies and food banks to protect critical programs for those in need of food.
Alma has encouraged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use their authority to reexamine the calculation of SNAP benefits under the Thrifty Food Plan, which led to an average 27% increase on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in 2021. Additionally, she introduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2021, which would modernize the SNAP program and increase benefits by 30%.
Over 16% of North Carolinians live below the poverty level, nearly two points higher than the national average – and in many communities, this number is higher still. Alma will work to lift these individuals out of poverty and help them find the good-paying jobs they need to support their families.
As a retired educator, Alma Adams understands that fighting poverty begins with a good education. Education is the key to North Carolina’s future. Our investments in our public schools, colleges, and job training programs should be second to none.
Alma Adams will always work to ensure that everyone has the ability to make a living wage that is capable of supporting their families. In both the NC General Assembly and the U.S. Congress, she has led the fight to raise the minimum wage.
PROTECTING FAMILIES AND FARMERS ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/issues at this heading)
- Secured $850,000 for Nourish Up’s Hunger Hub in West Charlotte.
- Continued the Adams Hunger Initiative policy roundtables with partners like Sesom and Harvest Food Bank and Feeding Charlotte.
- Introduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act and Food Secure Strikers Act to expand SNAP benefits.
- Opposed $186 billion in SNAP cuts and fought for families affected by the government shutdown.
- Authored the Fair Credit for Farmers Act to review USDA Farm Loans and National Appeals Division.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues
We must do more to combat rising crime rates in America. It starts by having some common sense gun laws.
Alma Adams wants to make sure law enforcement and first responders have adequate resources to protect its citizens. At the same time, Congress must do something to counter the easy access to deadly weapons to criminals and others who could do us harm.
Gun control legislation is essential to fighting crime, protecting our citizens, and reducing the dangers our law enforcement face each day. Congress needs to ban certain high-powered assault weapons, close the gun show loophole, require background checks for purchases of firearms, and improve the tracking of firearms in our country.
Community-centered Violence and Crime Prevention ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/issues at this heading)
- Secured $1.9 million in federal funds for community-centered violence and crime prevention programs in Charlotte and more than $20 million in community grant projects.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues
Demand for housing is exceeding the supply and the lack of affordable housing for many has become an epidemic. Everyone deserves decent, safe, affordable housing; anything less than this is not an option. Shelter is a basic human need, and housing is a fundamental human right. It should be a Constitutional right.
Alma Adams supports measures that will make housing more affordable and legislation that requires lenders to provide important disclosures on mortgages and housing counseling. When we support programs that lift the poor and the middle class, it makes it easier for people to afford good housing. Adams is the primary sponsor on legislation to make it easier for coronavirus relief funds to be used for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits projects. The bipartisan LIFELINE Act (H.R. 7078) allows cities, counties, and states to use their Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars to maintain a robust pipeline of affordable housing developments.
Additionally, Adams helped secure over $100 million for Emergency Rental Assistance in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and facilitated community events with RAMP CLT to make sure all of our neighbors in need could keep a roof over their heads during COVID-19.
SAFE, DECENT, AND AFFORDABLE HOMES ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/issues at this heading)
- Alma’s LIFELINE bill helped deliver more than $8 billion in federal funds for affordable housing projects across the nation, including in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
- Introduced the American Neighborhoods Protection Act to address corporate ownership of single-family homes and boost women-focused home ownership assistance.
- Led a local Housing Roundtable with city, county, and nonprofit leaders.
- Supported key legislation including the Fair Housing Improvement Act and Home Energy Assistance during the shutdown.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues
Healthcare ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/4hs-labor at this heading)
- I co-chair the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which has over 100 members. The Caucus has secured over $200 million in new maternal health funding.
- We are re-introducing the Momnibus Act soon, a package of 13 bills that would comprehensively address the Black maternal health crisis in this country.
- My Stillbirth Prevention Act passed into law last Congress, unanimously in the Senate and with a vote if 408 to 3 in the House. It expands funding for stillbirth prevention and research.
- I re-introduced the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA), which provides funding for comprehensive sex education. The bill aims to prevent STIs, unintended pregnancies, sexual abuse, and dating violence.
- I am restarting the COPD Caucus in the House. I will be working to secure new research funding for earlier diagnosis and better treatment of COPD.
- I hosted a Healthcare Matters webinar with over 300 attendees to discuss how recent actions in Congress will affect my constituents’ healthcare.
Housing ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/4hs-labor at this heading)
- As a former member of the Financial Services Committee, my LIFELINE bill passed into law/was adopted by the Treasury Department in 2023. This granted over $8 billion to developers to construct/build affordable housing increasing the supply available to our residents.
- Introduced the American Neighborhoods Protection Act to defend our families against predatory corporations to improve family home ownership opportunities.
- Secured millions of dollars through community project funding for affordable housing developments across the Charlotte area. This includes housing for our senior residents who have paid their dues to our country.
- I am continuing to work on legislation that would increase the housing supply and provide more opportunities for homeownership. I’m considering ideas such as using our religious organizations to expand the housing supply, ensuring that marginalized groups like those with disabilities have equal access to housing, amongst other things.
Hunger ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/4hs-labor at this heading)
I serve as a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee.
- Right now, critical nutrition programs are under attack. That is why I have introduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act, which raises the baseline benefit for all SNAP households and allocating more funds to those with large medical and housing expenses.
With the One Big Ugly Bill, I am working hard to mitigate the harmful effects of the cuts to SNAP for North Carolina as we try to pass a Farm Bill.
- And, during the shutdown, I prioritized programs, like SNAP and WIC, to ensure they had continued funding to stay afloat and serve families.
And we can’t talk about food without talking about Farmers, especially our small and mid-sized, and family farms.
- Which is why I lead the Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act to address financial challenges for new farmers and ranchers.
- And committed to protecting remaining Black farmers from losing their land with my Justice for Black Farmers Act, which would provide land grants to create a new generation of Black farmers and restore the land base that has been lost.
- And after pressure I placed on the administration, USDA restored scholarships they had initially cut from the 1890s Scholars Program.
For the past decade, I have hosted the Adams Hunger Initiative, addressing the food crisis impacting areas of North Carolina’s 12th District.
- The Initiative works to promote public- private partnerships, create dialogues between elected officials and key stakeholders, draft legislation aimed at addressing hunger and food insecurity, and promote and protect critical food programs and food banks.
Higher Education ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/4hs-labor at this heading)
- I serve as a senior member of Education and workforce Committee, and Ranking Member of the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee.
- In 2019, we signed into law my FUTURES Act, which permanently guarantees $255 million a year for HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) to serve over eight million students of color, preparing them for careers in our STEM professions.
- In 2020, we signed into law my HBCUs Partners Act, which requires every administration and the federal agencies it manages to plan and coordinate their efforts to strategically engage with and invest in HBCUs.
- My IGNITE legislation builds on these successes by focusing on the infrastructure for our HBCUs.
Back in 2019, I was visiting some of the campuses and talking directly with our HBCU leaders across the country, and one thing was certain: our campuses need modernization.
- Even today, buildings are aging. Roofs are leaking. Labs are outdated. And deferred maintenance is a serious concern.
- And our students, who already face so many barriers, are the ones paying the price.
So we got to work. And we wrote the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act to change that.
- The bill was first introduced as a bipartisan, bicameral bill in 2022. It was developed in close collaboration with our 1890 institutions, HBCU leaders, advocates, and students.
And I’m proud to say that parts of the bill were included in the 2023 Build Back Better omnibus spending bill signed into law by former President Biden. This included a $45M dollar investment to support real projects on our campuses.
- But we need more. So, here’s where we are today.
- The Bipartisan HBCU Caucus which I co-chair alongside Rep. French Hill, Senator Tim Scott, and Senator Chris Coons, is working together to reignite the flame and reintroduce this bill and make these investments permanent.
Labor ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/4hs-labor at this heading)
- Given my position on the Education and Workforce committee, I am directly involved in shaping policy for our nation’s workers.
- I have been committed to increasing the minimum wage, expanding access to apprenticeships, protecting worker safety, and defending their right to collective bargaining.
- This past July, I reintroduced my Black Women’s Equal Pay Resolution to recognize the ongoing, severe racial and gender wage gap Black women face in the United States.
- And I am fighting to ensure that the Trump Administration understands federal law that all furloughed federal employees receive backpay once the government shutdown ends.
- North Carolina has 140,000 federal employees, including 7,000 in the 12th District, and they should not be used as bargaining chips.
Adams meets with constituents at a Pop-Up Food Share Event on November 3, 2025.
Adams speaks against the One Big Ugly Bill at a rally on May 20, 2025.
advocates in Washington, DC on September 17, 2025.
Adams meets with her constituents
during Charlotte’s National Night Out on August 5, 2025.
Adams participates in Johnson C. Smith University’s annual Honors Convocation on
Charlotte on August 22, 2025.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/4hs-labor
We must strengthen the middle class in order to build a stronger American economy.
Creating and retaining good-paying jobs should be the primary focus in Congress. There are things we need to do in order to strengthen and protect the middle class right here in North Carolina.
We must invest in public education and job training programs so businesses can hire a skilled workforce.
Small businesses and the middle class are the backbones of our economy. They need the resources to compete. We need to give small businesses tax cuts so they can create jobs. They also need easier access to capital so they can expand their businesses and invest in people.
Women and minorities need to be given more opportunities and resources to succeed in the business world.
Alma has always been a strong advocate for the middle class. A strong middle class means a stronger American economy. She supports giving more tax cuts to the middle class and raising the minimum wage – indexing it to the rate of inflation. By putting more money in the hands of hard-working Americans, companies can sell more products, appliances, cars, and other items that will continue to spur our economic growth.
Rising inflation has hit the middle class especially hard recently. Alma voted for the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strengthening (America COMPETES) Act (H.R. 4521), a comprehensive, strategic package aimed at addressing inflation by investing in the U.S. supply chain so that more goods are made in America, accelerating the production of U.S. made semiconductor chips which are critical for any electronics, and building our research capacity at HBCUs and other institutions of higher education to foster domestic innovation, advance global competitiveness and ensure we lead the technologies of the future.
STRENGTHENING THE MIDDLE CLASS ↗ (opens almaadamsforcongress.com/issues at this heading)
- Supports giving more tax cuts to the middle class and raising the minimum wage – indexing it to the rate of inflation.
- Voted for the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strengthening (America COMPETES) Act (H.R. 4521), a comprehensive, strategic package aimed at addressing inflation by investing in the U.S. supply chain
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · almaadamsforcongress.com/issues