29 Facts About Alma Adams

Alma Shealey Adams was born on May 27,1946 and is an American politician who represents North Carolina's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.

Alma Adams won the 2014 special election in North Carolina's 12th congressional district to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mel Watt, becoming the 100th woman serving in the 113th Congress.

Alma Adams won election to a full two-year term at the same time.

Alma Adams was born on May 27,1946, in High Point, North Carolina, to Benjamin Shealey and Mattie Stokes.

Alma Adams was raised by her mother, who worked as a domestic worker.

Alma Adams moved with her family to Baltimore, Maryland, as a child before settling in Newark, New Jersey.

Alma Adams attended the predominantly white West Side High School in Newark and graduated in 1964.

Alma Adams later joined the faculty of Bennett College in Greensboro, where she taught until 2012.

Alma Adams was the director of the Steel Hall Art Gallery.

Alma Adams began her political career as a member of the Greensboro City School Board from 1984 to 1986, before serving on the Greensboro City Council from 1987 until her appointment to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1994.

Alma Adams was appointed to the state House to fill the seat of Representative Herman Gist, who had died in office.

At the time of her appointment, Alma Adams had already announced her candidacy to challenge Gist in the upcoming Democratic primary in 1994.

Alma Adams went on to win reelection in 1996 and 1998 against Stafford, who ran as a Republican in both races.

In 2000, Alma Adams was unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Jim Rumley in the general election.

Alma Adams chaired the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, which provides scholarships to students attending the state's Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Alma Adams held leadership roles in several committees, including serving as vice chair of the Government Committee, chair of the Appropriations Committee, and vice chair of the Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Alma Adams was one of the first to announce that if Watt were confirmed, she would run in the ensuing special election.

Alma Adams formally filed paperwork to run in both the Democratic primary for a full two-year term in the 114th Congress and the special election held in November 2014 to fill the balance of Watt's 11th term.

Alma Adams was sworn in on November 12,2014, to complete the remaining seven weeks of Watt's term.

Analysts thought that Alma Adams was at a geographic disadvantage in the five-way primary for both the special and regular elections.

Alma Adams is from Greensboro, but the bulk of the district's population is in Charlotte.

Alma Adams faced Republican Vince Coakley, a former television and radio broadcaster from Matthews, in the general and special elections, which were held on the same day.

The 12th was a heavily Democratic district with a majority-black voting population and a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+26, and Alma Adams won both elections handily.

Alma Adams is the second woman of color to represent North Carolina in the House.

Alma Adams subsequently moved to Charlotte to remain in the 12th district.

Alma Adams endorsed Hillary Clinton In the 2016 presidential election and pledged her support as a superdelegate.

Alma Adams did not attend the Inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017.

Alma Adams voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Alma Adams is well known for wearing many distinctive hats, and owns more than nine hundred.