Breaking down the ballot: U.S. House District 12
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Alma Adams (left) and Jack Codiga (right). Photos: Courtesy of candidates
Democratic Rep. Alma Adams and Republican first-time candidate Jack Codiga are running for North Carolina's 12th Congressional District.
Why it matters: Adams is seeking a seventh full term at 80 years old in this blue-leaning district, while Codiga is throwing his name in as a 29-year-old political newcomer.
📍 The district mostly covers Charlotte.
Axios sent questions to both candidates. Their answers were edited for length and punctuation.
Axios: What is the most pressing issue Congress should address in the next two years, and how would you tackle it?
Adams: This President, the Supreme Court, and Republicans in Congress as well as in state legislatures across the country have taken a chainsaw to the voting rights many fought and died for.
- Congress must act to ensure that every American, regardless of race, age, gender, ZIP code, etc. has the right to vote and make their voice heard.
- That's why I support the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would protect the rights of every American to participate in our democracy.
Codiga: AI and data privacy can get overlooked, but we need to act now. Companies already profit from tracking us and selling our data, and AI is pouring gas on the fire with its surveillance capabilities.
- Locally, Flock cameras have drawn attention, but it's a shame cities and states have to fight these battles instead of having federal protections against invasive surveillance practices.
- We need a Digital Bill of Rights rooted in timeless principles, like the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, to end surveillance capitalism and ensure technology serves us rather than controls us.
Axios: What is the most pressing issue facing your district, and what would you do about it in Congress?
Adams: There are many issues facing our district, ranging from affordable housing to access to affordable and quality healthcare, but one of the first actions Congress should take is to restore the funding to SNAP, WIC and other nutrition assistance programs that were cut by One Big Ugly Bill.
- Those cuts have been devastating to our district and must be restored to ensure that everyone has access to safe and nutritious food.
Codiga: Charlotte's biggest issue is affordability. We need to address the most pressing problems now while building an economy where people can have stable ground.
- Let's use health care as an example. Years of consolidation have left fewer companies controlling more of our health care system. We can take practical steps now by increasing competition and price transparency and allowing health insurers to compete across state lines.
- The vision we need is to have a dollar that holds its value. Our government's $40 trillion debt and continued deficit spending contribute to the declining purchasing power of our money, leaving us worse off.
Axios: On what issue would you be willing to break with your party?
Adams: The Democratic Party is a big tent party and there are many disagreements individual members have with each other. But I don't vote for policies because my party supports them. I'm a member of the Democratic Party because the policies that I value and that I champion through my 4 H's (Housing, Health care, Higher Education, and Hunger) are reflected in the work of the Democratic Party.
Codiga: Israel's influence over American politics. The Republican establishment tries to quash dissent on this issue, as we saw with Thomas Massie in his May primary, where Israel-aligned money was used against him.
- One basic reform I believe Americans of any party should support is prohibiting foreign-connected interest groups from spending money on our elections, even if their funding comes from Americans. Our elections should focus on American interests.
