Alma Adams

Alma Adams
Born	Alma Shealey 27 5, 1946
Birthplace	High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, college professor, college administrator
Known for	U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 12th congressional district; 100th woman serving in the 113th Congress
Education	North Carolina A&T State University (BS, MS) Ohio State University (PhD)
Children	2
Website	[adams.house.gov Official site]

Alma Shealey Adams (born May 27, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 12th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, Adams first entered elected office in 1994 when she was appointed to the North Carolina House of Representatives, where she served for two decades representing parts of Guilford County. Before entering politics, she built a career in higher education as a college administrator and art professor based in Greensboro, North Carolina. In November 2014, Adams won a special election to fill the congressional vacancy created by the resignation of Mel Watt, who had left to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency. She was sworn in on November 12, 2014, becoming the 100th woman serving in the 113th Congress — a historic milestone that was covered in national media. Adams simultaneously won election to a full two-year term in the same election cycle, and she has continued to represent the district since. Known for her distinctive collection of hats, which have become a personal trademark on Capitol Hill, Adams has focused her legislative work on issues including education, nutrition, housing, and civil rights.

Early Life

Alma Shealey was born on May 27, 1946, in High Point, North Carolina. She grew up in North Carolina during the era of racial segregation, which would shape her later political and professional commitments. High Point, located in the Piedmont Triad region of the state, was a center of the furniture manufacturing industry and, like much of the American South in the mid-twentieth century, was deeply affected by the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s.

Adams developed an interest in both the arts and public service from an early age. She remained rooted in the Piedmont Triad region throughout her life, eventually settling in Greensboro, which became her long-term home and the base for both her academic and political careers. Greensboro itself held significant historical resonance as the site of the Greensboro sit-ins of 1960, in which four African American college students from North Carolina A&T State University staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter — an event that helped catalyze the broader civil rights movement. Adams has maintained a connection to that legacy throughout her career, including through her later legislative efforts to honor the participants. In February 2026, Adams introduced a resolution in Congress recognizing the Greensboro Four for their contribution to the civil rights movement.

Education

Adams pursued her higher education at North Carolina A&T State University, a historically black university in Greensboro, where she earned both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree. She subsequently continued her graduate studies at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where she earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. Her academic training prepared her for a career in higher education, and she frequently uses the title "Dr." in her professional and political life, reflecting her doctoral credentials. Adams's educational background in the arts informed her later work both as a professor and as a supporter of arts-related causes and organizations in the Greensboro community.

Career

Academic Career

Before entering politics, Adams built a career in higher education. She served as a college administrator and art professor, working in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her involvement in the arts extended beyond the classroom; she was connected to the African American Atelier, an arts organization in Greensboro that supported and promoted the work of African American artists. Her academic career provided her with a foundation in education policy and community engagement that she would later bring to her political work.

North Carolina General Assembly (1994–2014)

Adams entered electoral politics in 1994, when she was appointed to a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She succeeded Herman Gist in representing a district in Guilford County. Initially, she represented the 26th district, a seat she held from her appointment in April 1994 through redistricting in 2003. Following redistricting, she represented the 58th House district, also in Guilford County, from 2003 until her departure in 2014.

During her two decades in the state legislature, Adams served on various committees and held leadership positions. She chaired the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, a role that placed her at the center of legislative advocacy on behalf of African American communities in the state. Her tenure in the General Assembly spanned a period of significant political change in North Carolina, including shifts in partisan control of the legislature and ongoing debates over redistricting, education funding, and social policy.

Adams was succeeded in the North Carolina House by Ralph C. Johnson upon her election to Congress in 2014.

Election to Congress (2014)

In December 2013, U.S. Representative Mel Watt, who had represented North Carolina's 12th congressional district since 1993, resigned his seat after being confirmed as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. His departure triggered a special election to fill the remainder of his term in the 113th Congress, as well as a regular election for a full term in the 114th Congress. The 12th congressional district, which included parts of Charlotte and other communities in the central part of the state, was a majority-minority district designed to provide representation for African American voters.

Adams entered both races and emerged victorious. On November 4, 2014, she won the special election to complete Watt's term as well as the general election for a full two-year term beginning in January 2015. She was sworn into office on November 12, 2014, just over a week after Election Day, giving her a head start on the new session.

Her swearing-in carried particular symbolic significance: Adams became the 100th woman serving in the 113th Congress, marking the first time in American history that 100 women served simultaneously in a single Congress. The milestone was widely noted in national media coverage. NPR reported on her swearing-in ceremony, and USA Today highlighted the broader context of women's representation in American politics in its election coverage.

Congressional Career

Since taking office, Adams has represented North Carolina's 12th congressional district, which encompasses the Charlotte metropolitan area and surrounding communities. She has served as a member of the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives and has been involved in legislative efforts related to education, agriculture, housing, and civil rights.

Adams has consistently sought reelection and has maintained her seat through multiple election cycles. In October 2025, she announced her intention to run for reelection in the 2026 cycle, telling WBTV that she planned to continue representing the district. In February 2026, the Working Families Party announced its endorsement of Adams for reelection in the North Carolina primary.

Legislative Priorities

Adams has focused on a range of policy areas during her time in Congress. Her legislative work has included efforts related to education, reflecting her background as a former college professor and administrator. She has also been active on issues of food security and nutrition, housing policy, and the promotion of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Her connection to the civil rights history of Greensboro has been reflected in her legislative activity. In February 2026, Adams introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives honoring the Greensboro Four — the four North Carolina A&T students who staged the 1960 Woolworth's sit-in — for their role in the civil rights movement.

Immigration and Homeland Security

Adams has taken public positions on immigration enforcement and the operations of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Charlotte area. In November 2025, she released a statement responding to DHS's deployment of Border Patrol and ICE agents to Charlotte. Later that month, she sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanding information about CBP operations in Charlotte.

In early 2026, Adams voted against H.R. 7148, a DHS funding package, citing concerns about how the bill directed resources.

Budget and Fiscal Policy

Adams has been a vocal critic of Republican-led budget proposals. In July 2025, she released a statement opposing the House passage of a Republican budget bill, which she characterized as a "One Big, Ugly Bill."

Political Endorsements

Adams has participated in presidential endorsement processes. During the 2016 presidential primary cycle, her endorsement activity was tracked by FiveThirtyEight as part of their endorsement primary analysis.

Personal Life

Adams is a longtime resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, where she has lived for much of her adult life. She has two children.

Adams is recognized for her extensive collection of hats, which she wears regularly in public appearances and on the floor of the House of Representatives. Her hats have become a personal signature and are frequently noted in media profiles and coverage of her congressional activities. The tradition of wearing distinctive hats connects to a broader cultural practice in African American communities, where hat-wearing, particularly in church settings, has long been an expression of personal style and identity.

In February 2026, Adams released a public statement mourning the death of Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and former presidential candidate, reflecting her personal and political connections to the civil rights movement.

Recognition

Adams's election to Congress in 2014 brought national attention due to the symbolic significance of her becoming the 100th woman to serve simultaneously in the 113th Congress. The milestone was reported by NPR, which covered her swearing-in ceremony on November 12, 2014. USA Today also highlighted her election in the context of a broader story about women candidates and the glass ceiling in American politics.

Her long career in public service — spanning two decades in the North Carolina General Assembly followed by her continuing service in the U.S. House of Representatives — has made her one of the more experienced members of North Carolina's congressional delegation. Her background as a PhD-holding former professor and college administrator is relatively uncommon among members of Congress and has informed her legislative approach to education policy and support for historically black colleges and universities.

The Working Families Party's endorsement of Adams in the 2026 North Carolina primary reflected her standing among progressive organizations as a figure aligned with their policy priorities.

Legacy

Adams's career in public service spans more than three decades, beginning with her appointment to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1994 and continuing through her ongoing service in the U.S. Congress. Her trajectory — from college professor and administrator to state legislator to congresswoman — reflects a path through public life that was rooted in education and community engagement in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina.

Her election in 2014 as the 100th woman serving in the 113th Congress was a milestone in the broader history of women's representation in American government. While the number of women in Congress has continued to grow in subsequent sessions, Adams's swearing-in marked a specific moment that was recognized as historically significant at the time.

In the North Carolina General Assembly, her two decades of service and her leadership of the Legislative Black Caucus represented sustained engagement with issues affecting African American communities in the state. Her subsequent work in Congress has continued to focus on education, civil rights, housing, and nutrition — areas that connect to both her academic background and her constituency's needs.

Adams's connection to Greensboro and to North Carolina A&T State University — her alma mater and the institution from which the Greensboro Four emerged — has been a recurring theme in her public life, linking her personal history to one of the most significant events in the American civil rights movement.