---
title: "Adams vs. Codiga: 2026 North Carolina’s 12th District race"
url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-nc-12"
updated: "2026-08-01"
source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim"
publisher: "Pluribus"
---

# 2026 North Carolina’s 12th District race: Alma Adams (D) vs. Jack Codiga (R)

Rating: Safe D · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: August 1, 2026

Incumbent Democratic Representative Alma Adams faces Republican challenger Jack Codiga in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District following the state's October 2025 mid-decade redistricting. Both candidates advanced from their respective party primaries on March 3, 2026, to set up the November 3, 2026 general election matchup. The race centers on contrasting visions for federal policy, pitting Adams' long legislative record on education, health care, and voting rights against Codiga's libertarian-populist platform calling for ending the Federal Reserve, abolishing welfare programs, enforcing strict immigration measures, and enacting a federal abortion ban.

## Candidates

- **Alma Adams** (Democrat, incumbent) · [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alma_Adams)
- **Jack Codiga** (Republican) · [Campaign site](https://www.codigaforcongress.com/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

## Issues

### Economy & Monetary Policy

Salience: high

Adams supports middle-class tax cuts, minimum wage increases, and domestic manufacturing investments, whereas Codiga advocates abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to a gold- and silver-backed currency.

**Alma Adams:** Supports middle-class investments and inflation relief

Adams focuses on strengthening the middle class by expanding job training, raising the minimum wage, and investing in domestic manufacturing and supply chains to address inflation. She supported major federal legislation to advance U.S. technology production and domestic competitiveness.

- Voted for the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521) to invest in U.S. supply chains and semiconductor manufacturing.
- Supports raising the federal minimum wage and indexing it to inflation.
- Advocates for tax cuts aimed at middle-class families and expanding capital access for small businesses.

> “We must strengthen the middle class in order to build a stronger American economy.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “Rising inflation has hit the middle class especially hard recently. Alma voted for the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strengthening (America COMPETES) Act”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports gold standard and ending Federal Reserve

Codiga attributes rising living costs and inflation to fiat currency uncontrolled by tangible assets. He advocates abolishing the Federal Reserve, restoring gold and silver backing under the U.S. Treasury, and ending fractional reserve banking expansion.

- Proposes abolishing the Federal Reserve and placing monetary oversight under the U.S. Treasury.
- Advocates returning to gold and silver as constitutional currency.
- Calls for banking reform to ensure deposits are lent directly rather than created through new money loans.

> “Because the dollar isn’t backed by assets like gold or silver, as the Constitution intended, our economy is unstable and people can’t reliably store the value of their work. I support ending the Federal Reserve”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “Abolish the Federal Reserve, an illegitimate overseer of our currency, and place oversight under the U.S. Treasury.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

### Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Salience: high

Adams champions federal protections for abortion rights and privacy, while Codiga advocates a nationwide federal abortion ban treating abortion as murder.

**Alma Adams:** Supports federal abortion rights and privacy

Adams is a staunch supporter of reproductive rights, maintaining that bodily autonomy and healthcare choices belong privately between a woman and her physician. She advocates for federal legislation to restore reproductive rights following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

- Supports codifying federal abortion protections into law.
- Co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus to address maternal health disparities.
- Supports legislation guaranteeing paid family and medical leave for working families.

> “I will always fight for a woman’s right to choose and the right to privacy. Reproductive issues are medical-related issues and they should be kept private between a woman and her doctor.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “When the Supreme Court struck down Roe, it took reproductive health care decisions from women. I will continue to fight to ensure women’s rights are restored and protected.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports nationwide federal abortion ban

Codiga maintains that life begins at conception and advocates for a nationwide federal ban on abortion. He argues that intentionally ending unborn life should be treated legally as murder across all state lines.

- Supports a federal abortion ban across all states.
- Maintains that life begins at conception and requires equal legal protection.
- Proposes treating the intentional ending of unborn life as murder under the law.

> “I support a federal abortion ban because I believe life begins at conception and that the right to life should be protected equally across state lines.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “Ending a life intentionally should be treated as murder under the law.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

### Healthcare

Salience: high

Adams advocates for single-payer healthcare, Medicaid expansion, and drug price caps, whereas Codiga advocates dismantling government health programs in favor of market competition.

**Alma Adams:** Supports single-payer healthcare and lower drug costs

Adams views health care as a fundamental human right, backing single-payer healthcare, defending the ACA, and expanding Medicaid. She has focused on maternal healthcare funding and capping prescription drug expenses.

- Supports a single-payer healthcare system and expanded ACA insurance subsidies.
- Co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus and introduced the Momnibus package.
- Voted for the Affordable Insulin Now Act (H.R. 6833) to cap out-of-pocket insulin at $35 a month.

> “I continue to support a single-payer health care system and an expansion to tax credits to help citizens afford health insurance”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “Adams also voted for H.R. 6833, the Affordable Insulin Now Act, to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin at no more than $35 a month.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports free-market healthcare and phaseout of government programs

Codiga seeks to expose healthcare to free-market competition and price transparency while stripping administrative regulations. He opposes government healthcare entitlement programs and supports phasing them out.

- Advocates for price transparency and free-market competition in healthcare.
- Proposes removing liability protections from vaccine manufacturers.
- Supports phasing out government healthcare programs as part of ending the welfare state.

> “Strip away administrative bloat and expose healthcare to real market forces like price transparency and competition.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “We must eliminate administrative bloat and expose healthcare to real market forces like price transparency and competition”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Campaign site](https://www.codigaforcongress.com/)

### Immigration & Border Security

Salience: high

Adams votes against federal border enforcement and detention mandates, while Codiga advocates mass deportations, welfare restrictions for non-citizens, and reduced work visas.

**Alma Adams:** Opposes restrictive border and enforcement bills

Adams consistently opposes Republican border enforcement and mandatory immigrant detention legislation, voting against bills that restrict asylum or expand federal detention mandates.

- Voted Nay on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5) mandating federal detention for certain theft offenses.
- Voted Nay on the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2).
- Voted Nay on H.R. 875 expanding DUI deportation grounds.

> “Laken Riley Act ... Nay”
> — Alma Adams, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alma_Adams)

> “Secure the Border Act of 2023 ... Nay”
> — Alma Adams, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alma_Adams)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports strict deportation and cultural assimilation

Codiga advocates for strict border enforcement, limiting work visas, and removing welfare incentives for undocumented residents. He prioritizes deporting violent criminals and non-citizens who misuse government benefits while demanding cultural assimilation.

- Prioritizes deporting violent criminals and non-citizens abusing welfare programs.
- Calls for removing public benefits that encourage illegal residency.
- Supports restricting work visas and requiring assimilation into American values.

> “We need a clear approach that starts with deporting violent criminals and those who abuse government programs.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “Work visas should be limited, and illegal immigration must be addressed. Living in America means embracing our values and identity.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

### Education & Student Loans

Salience: medium

Adams supports expanded federal funding for public schools, HBCUs, and $50,000 in student loan cancellation, while Codiga proposes eliminating government-guaranteed student loans.

**Alma Adams:** Supports public education and HBCU funding

A former college professor, Adams prioritizes federal investment in public K-12 education, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and student loan debt relief.

- Sponsored the FUTURE Act providing $255M annually for MSIs including $85M for HBCUs.
- Introduced the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act for campus infrastructure investments.
- Supports forgiving up to $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower.

> “As a retired educator, I have seen first-hand the impact a great education can have on a young person’s life. I will always be a champion for public schools, our teachers, our children, and our HBCUs.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “Specifically, she has introduced a resolution with Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley calling on the President to forgive $50,000 in student loan debt for every American.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

**Jack Codiga:** Opposes federal student loans and subsidies

Codiga blames federal student loan guarantees for driving up college tuition costs. He advocates eliminating government-guaranteed student loans while allowing borrowers to declare bankruptcy under existing law.

- Proposes eliminating all government-guaranteed student loans.
- Supports allowing student loan borrowers to discharge debt through bankruptcy.
- Opposes federal subsidies in higher education.

> “Eliminate government-guaranteed student loans and allow borrowers to declare bankruptcy under existing law.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “Government guarantees on student loans are the main reason so many people are saddled with student debt.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Campaign site](https://www.codigaforcongress.com/)

### Government Spending, Taxes & Welfare

Salience: medium

Adams pledges to defend Social Security, Medicare, and social safety nets, whereas Codiga advocates eliminating all welfare programs—including Social Security—and abolishing the income tax.

**Alma Adams:** Supports protecting Social Security and social safety nets

Adams opposes cuts or privatization of entitlement programs, advocating to preserve Social Security and Medicare. She supports progressive tax structures and funding for anti-poverty programs.

- Voted for the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R. 82).
- Opposes Social Security privatization or Medicare benefit cuts.
- Supported the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024).

> “We must keep our promise to our seniors in the form of Medicare and Social Security. I’ll fight against any attempt to privatize Social Security or defund Medicare.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 ... Yea”
> — Alma Adams, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alma_Adams)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports eliminating welfare state and income tax

Codiga calls for the complete phaseout of federal welfare programs, describing Social Security as a Ponzi scheme. He advocates repealing the 16th Amendment to abolish the income tax and replacing it with tariffs and consumption taxes.

- Proposes eliminating federal welfare programs, including Social Security, government healthcare, and backed mortgages.
- Calls for repealing the 16th Amendment (income tax) and banning property taxes.
- Pledges not to accept PAC money and to abstain from individual stock trading.

> “End all welfare programs, including the godfather of all Ponzi schemes (Social Security), government healthcare, and government-backed mortgages.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “Property taxes should be illegal, and the 16th Amendment (income tax) should be abolished.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

### Housing

Salience: medium

Adams supports federal subsidies, tax credits, and restrictions on corporate home purchases, while Codiga advocates banning property taxes and deregulating local zoning.

**Alma Adams:** Supports federal affordable housing investments

Adams considers safe, affordable housing a basic human right. She has sponsored federal legislation directing COVID-19 relief funds into affordable housing projects and targeting corporate purchases of single-family homes.

- Sponsored the LIFELINE Act (H.R. 7078) to allow ARPA funds for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects.
- Introduced the American Neighborhoods Protection Act targeting corporate ownership of single-family homes.
- Secured community project funding for senior and affordable housing developments in Charlotte.

> “Demand for housing is exceeding the supply and the lack of affordable housing for many has become an epidemic. Everyone deserves decent, safe, affordable housing”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “Alma’s LIFELINE bill helped deliver more than $8 billion in federal funds for affordable housing projects across the nation”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports housing deregulation and tax abolition

Codiga attributes high housing costs to fiat inflation, property taxes, and restrictive local zoning. He proposes banning property taxes, reforming zoning laws, and eliminating tax breaks that encourage corporate housing speculation.

- Supports a nationwide ban on property taxes.
- Proposes limiting local zoning regulations strictly to infrastructure or pollution concerns.
- Calls for eliminating tax incentives that treat single-family homes as financial investments.

> “There are tax incentives that treat homes more like investments than shelters. Zoning should be limited to genuine infrastructure or pollution concerns.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “I also support a nationwide ban on property taxes (if you own property, it should truly be yours).”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Campaign site](https://www.codigaforcongress.com/)

### Voting Rights & Elections

Salience: medium

Adams advocates passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and voted against proof-of-citizenship rules, while Codiga calls for federal voter ID mandates, paper ballots, and open majority-runoff primaries.

**Alma Adams:** Supports expanding voting rights protections

Adams supports federal legislation to restore Voting Rights Act protections and expand voter access, strongly opposing Republican voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements.

- Supports the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4).
- Advocates restoring preclearance standards under Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act.
- Voted Nay on the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.

> “It’s time for Congress to act, restore the Voting Rights Act, and take action to prevent voter disenfranchisement.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “SAVE Act ... Nay”
> — Alma Adams, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alma_Adams)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports voter ID, paper ballots, and primary reform

Codiga advocates for mandatory federal voter ID laws and paper ballots to prevent fraud. He also proposes replacing traditional primary systems with a top-two majority-runoff system and requiring foreign advocacy lobbies like AIPAC to register under FARA.

- Supports mandatory voter ID and paper-only ballots for federal elections.
- Proposes replacing partisan primaries with an open majority-runoff primary system.
- Calls for designating Election Day as a federal holiday and requiring foreign advocacy groups like AIPAC to register as foreign agents.

> “America’s federal election system must mandate voter ID and paper ballots at the federal level to ensure honest elections.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Campaign site](https://www.codigaforcongress.com/)

> “AIPAC and other domestic groups advocating for foreign-aligned policies must register as foreign agents, which would bar their participation in elections”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Campaign site](https://www.codigaforcongress.com/)

### Gun Policy

Salience: medium

Adams advocates for banning assault weapons and mandating universal background checks, whereas Codiga supports permitless constitutional carry and opposes firearm restrictions.

**Alma Adams:** Supports strict gun control regulations

Adams supports strict federal gun control measures to combat violent crime, including banning assault weapons, enacting universal background checks, and closing purchasing loopholes.

- Supports banning high-powered assault weapons.
- Advocates closing the gun show loophole and mandating universal background checks.
- Supports enhanced federal tracking of firearm sales.

> “Congress needs to ban certain high-powered assault weapons, close the gun show loophole, require background checks for purchases of firearms, and improve the tracking of firearms in our country.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports constitutional carry and Second Amendment rights

Codiga strongly defends the Second Amendment as a safeguard for self-defense and a check against government tyranny. He opposes state permit hurdles and advocates nationwide constitutional carry.

- Supports permitless constitutional carry nationwide.
- Views the Second Amendment as a fundamental right to resist government tyranny.
- Opposes state legal hurdles and restrictions on firearm possession.

> “The Second Amendment protects not only self-defense and hunting, but also the right to resist tyranny.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “States should not create burdensome legal hurdles just to carry a firearm.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

### Digital Privacy, Tech & Free Speech

Salience: low

Codiga explicitly campaigns on prohibiting digital surveillance capitalism and government-tech platform collusion, while Adams' documented record in the sources emphasizes voting for federal disclosure transparency.

**Alma Adams:** Supports transparency in government disclosures

Adams' voting record includes support for federal transparency legislation regarding government records, though her campaign materials do not outline a detailed platform on private technology platforms or digital tracking.

- Voted Yea on the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 4405) requiring DOJ public record publishing.

> “Epstein Files Transparency Act ... Yea”
> — Alma Adams, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alma_Adams)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports outlawing surveillance capitalism and government-tech collusion

Codiga focuses on Fourth Amendment digital privacy, seeking to ban corporate data mining and government digital surveillance. He supports algorithm transparency and criminalizing government collusion with private social media platforms.

- Proposes criminalizing collusion between government agencies and tech platforms regarding content moderation or warrant-free data sharing.
- Supports banning commercial digital tracking, data mining, and facial recognition without consent.
- Advocates requiring social media algorithm transparency allowing users to view content chronologically.

> “I support legislation criminalizing such collusion and requiring transparency in algorithms, giving users the option to view content chronologically.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “Spying on citizens for profit—through targeted ads, data mining, or facial recognition—is wrong. Your data belongs to you.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

### LGBTQ+ Rights & Gender Policy

Salience: low

Adams co-sponsors the Equality Act and voted against restricting transgender sports participation, whereas Codiga advocates banning gender-affirming care for minors and criminalizing hardcore pornography production.

**Alma Adams:** Supports LGBTQ+ equality and protections

Adams co-sponsors federal anti-discrimination legislation protecting LGBTQ+ individuals and opposes bills aimed at restricting transgender participation in sports.

- Co-sponsor of the federal Equality Act.
- Voted Nay on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 (H.R. 28).

> “We must do more for civil rights pertaining to all minorities, women, and the LGBT community. Alma is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act in Congress.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 ... Nay”
> — Alma Adams, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alma_Adams)

**Jack Codiga:** Opposes gender-affirming procedures for minors and pornography

Codiga opposes gender-affirming medical procedures for individuals under 18 and seeks to ban public funding or insurance coverage for elective transition care. He also advocates criminalizing the production of hardcore pornography.

- Supports prohibiting gender-affirming care and procedures for minors under 18.
- Opposes public or government-backed insurance coverage for elective transition procedures.
- Calls for criminalizing the production and distribution of hardcore pornography.

> “Individuals under 18 should not have access to gender-affirming procedures, and no government-backed insurance should cover these elective procedures.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

> “We must establish guardrails against its production and distribution, targeting penalties at producers of hardcore pornography”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

### Public Safety & Crime

Salience: low

Adams emphasizes federal grants for community violence prevention and hate crime tracking, while Codiga emphasizes strict detention and prosecution of repeat violent offenders.

**Alma Adams:** Supports community violence prevention and police resources

Adams supports providing law enforcement with necessary resources while prioritizing federal investments in community violence intervention programs and tracking white supremacist hate crimes.

- Secured $1.9 million for community-centered violence and crime prevention programs in Charlotte.
- Voted for the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act.
- Supports federal funding for DOJ tracking and prosecution of hate crimes and white supremacist violence.

> “Alma Adams wants to make sure law enforcement and first responders have adequate resources to protect its citizens.”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

> “Secured $1.9 million in federal funds for community-centered violence and crime prevention programs in Charlotte”
> — Alma Adams, via [Campaign site](https://almaadamsforcongress.com)

**Jack Codiga:** Supports strict prosecution and equal justice enforcement

Codiga argues local justice systems fail citizens by repeatedly releasing violent offenders. He calls for strict enforcement of equal justice under the law and mandatory detention for repeat violent offenders.

- Criticizes local bail and release policies that permit repeat violent offenders back into communities.
- Demands uniform enforcement of criminal law without political favors or double standards.

> “In September, a man released for at least the 14th time killed Iryna Zarutska, a tragedy that could have been avoided if Charlotte’s justice system upheld equal justice under the law.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Campaign site](https://www.codigaforcongress.com/)

> “A free society requires that the government treat everyone equally under the law.”
> — Jack Codiga, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jack_Codiga)

## Polls and markets

_Updated Oct 31._

- [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/nc-12-house-election-winner) — NC-12 House Election Winner: Democrats 98.5%, Republicans 1.1%
- [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/KXHOUSERACE-NC12-26) — NC-12 House winner?: Alma Adams 98.9%, Jack Codiga 1.1%

[View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-nc-12)