Alma Shealey Adams (born May 27, 1946) is an American politician who represents North Carolina's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. A Democrat, Adams represented the state's 58th House district in Guilford County in the North Carolina General Assembly from her appointment in April 1994 until her election to Congress, succeeded by Ralph C. Johnson.

Adams is a former college administrator and art professor from Greensboro. She is known for her distinctive hats. She won the 2014 special election in North Carolina's 12th congressional district to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mel Watt. She won election to a full two-year term at the same time.

Early life and education

Adams was born on May 27, 1946, in High Point, North Carolina, to Benjamin Shealey and Mattie Stokes. She was raised by her mother, who worked as a domestic worker. Adams moved with her family to Baltimore, Maryland, as a child before settling in Newark, New Jersey. She attended the predominantly white West Side High School in Newark and graduated in 1964. She was also the director of the Steel Hall Art Gallery.

State legislature

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.

She 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, Adams had already announced her candidacy to challenge Gist in the upcoming Democratic primary in 1994. The house district included most of southeastern Greensboro in Guilford County. Adams won a full term in the 1994 general election, defeating Republican Roger G. Coffer. In 2000, Adams was unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Jim Rumley in the general election. Adams won reelection with nearly 86% of the vote.

thumb|Adam's [[North Carolina House of Representatives portrait, 2013|upright=.7]]

Adams defeated Wright and Libertarian challenger Walter Sperko with 66% of the vote in 2004. Adams next faced Republican Darin H. Thomas in the general election, beating him 63.15%–36.85%. She also chaired the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, which provides scholarships to students attending the state's Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 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. Adams was sworn in on November 12, 2014, to complete the remaining seven weeks of Watt's term. After the swearing-in, Adams became the 100th female member of the congressional class, beating the previous record of 99. Whether she had moved by June was not clear.

With seven Charlotteans splitting the vote, Adams won the 2016 Democratic primary with 42%, just over the threshold to avoid a runoff. She did not attend the Inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017.

Adams and Representatives A. Donald McEachin and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act in 2022, would have the National Park Service work with local governments to identify, survey, research, and preserve historic African American cemeteries and burial grounds. The legislation has bipartisan support in the House.

Adams voted to provide Israel with support following the October 7 attacks.

As of June, 2025, Adams has received an "A" rating from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) based on public statements and voting records.

In 2025, Adams participated in The Price of Excellence, a short documentary produced by The Century Foundation with support from The Kresge Foundation and directed by JD Jones, examining the historical underfunding of HBCUs. Adams co-presented the film at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. on September 25, 2025.

Committee assignments

  • Committee on Agriculture (Vice Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations
  • Committee on Education and Labor
  • Subcommittee on Workforce Protections (Chair)
  • Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion

Caucus memberships

  • Black Maternal Health Caucus (Co-chair)
  • Congressional Progressive Caucus
  • Blue Collar Caucus
  • Congressional Black Caucus
  • Congressional Arts Caucus
  • Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
  • Congressional Equality Caucus
  • Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans

Personal life

Adams is divorced and has two children, four grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. (Official Website) ( She is well known for wearing many distinctive hats,

United States Congress

See also

  • List of African-American United States representatives
  • Women in the United States House of Representatives

References

  • Congresswoman Alma Adams official U.S. House website
  • Alma Adams for Congress

|-