U.S. House, North Carolina 12th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District?
Alma S. Adams has the strongest record in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District. Alma S. Adams scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Alma S. Adams's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jack Codiga (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Alma S. Adams
61 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 44
Republican
Jack Codiga
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Alma S. Adams
- On the record2026-06-04
Voted Yea on a War Powers resolution directing removal of U.S. forces from Lebanon, which failed; Democratic leaders Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar voted Nay.
- On the record2025-06-24
Voted Nay on tabling a resolution to impeach President Trump, which passed 344 to 79 with Democratic leaders Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar voting Yea.
- On the record2022-07-19
She was among 17 House members arrested for crowding or obstructing at a July 19, 2022 protest outside the Supreme Court; fines were $50, and the House Ethics Committee took no further action.
- On the record2016-03-10
Said in March 2016 she would move from Greensboro to Charlotte after her district was redrawn into Mecklenburg County; WFAE reported in 2019 her voter registration lists a Charlotte apartment.
Sources: Charlotte Observer via WBTV, March 10, 2016, WFAE, Oct. 29, 2019
- Credit2026-05-09
Lincoln University of Missouri awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at its May 9, 2026 commencement.
Source: Lincoln University, May 18, 2026
- Credit2022-12-29
Sponsored H.R. 7195, on whistleblower incentives and protections; its provisions were enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, signed Dec. 29, 2022.
Jack Codiga
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Alma S. Adams. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 12, 2026, and FEC reports on file. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk annual financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077643, House Committee on Ethics site search for Adams, FEC administrative fines search
Jack Codiga. House candidate financial disclosure filed Sept. 30, 2026, and FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082945, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Alma S. Adams. Voted against her party's leaders three times on significant measures: against tabling a Trump impeachment resolution (2025), for the HALT Fentanyl Act (2025), and for a 2026 War Powers resolution on Lebanon.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 175, June 24, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 166, June 12, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 201, June 4, 2026
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Alma S. Adams. Held an open in-person town hall at a Charlotte church on March 6, 2025, attended by about 400 people, per WBTV. No 2026 debate with Codiga was found.
Source: WBTV, March 7, 2025
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Alma S. Adams. Has served in public office since the Greensboro City Council, then 20 years in the state House and in Congress since 2014. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Alma Adams, House Committee on Ethics site search for Adams
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Alma S. Adams. Has held sworn state and federal office since 1994. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors and did not object in January 2017; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Alma S. Adams. In the U.S. House since November 2014, now completing her sixth full term; 20 years in the North Carolina House before that.
Sources: Office site, About, Ballotpedia, Alma Adams
Jack Codiga. A finance professional in banking and commercial real estate with a finance degree from Santa Clara University. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Jack Codiga
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Alma S. Adams. Ranking member of the Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, and sponsor of six enacted bills per GovTrack.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Jack Codiga. Publishes general positions on accountability, affordability and freedom and safety, plus a transparency pledge.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Alma S. Adams. Three channels: an e-newsletter, issue pages on her House site and an open in-person town hall in March 2025. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey; no 2026 debate was found.
Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Alma Adams, WBTV, March 7, 2025
Jack Codiga. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey and publishes issue statements on his campaign site.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Alma S. Adams. Has represented the Charlotte-based 12th District since 2014 and files with a Charlotte mailing address. FEC by-state totals show about 74 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.
Sources: Office site, home page, NCSBE 2026 general election candidate list
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Alma S. Adams. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each received by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Alma S. Adams. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.157 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.543, below expectations. Raised to 2 under E14: her whistleblower incentives bill (H.R. 7195) was enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 7195 (117th Congress)
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Alma S. Adams. Missed 191 of 6,452 roll call votes, 3.0 percent, from November 2014 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Alma S. Adams. Runs a Charlotte district office by appointment and offers help with federal agencies and passports.
Source: Office site, home page
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Alma S. Adams. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.65874 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 413 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Alma S. Adams. No public record found.
Jack Codiga. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District?
Alma S. Adams has the strongest record in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District. Alma S. Adams scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Alma S. Adams's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jack Codiga (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District in 2026?
Alma S. Adams (Democratic, incumbent), Jack Codiga (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Alma S. Adams a good candidate for Congress?
Alma S. Adams scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 44 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Jack Codiga a good candidate for Congress?
Jack Codiga has public evidence on 4 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every North Carolina race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the North Carolina 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.