WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Alma Adams won election to a U.S. House seat representing North Carolina on Tuesday. Adams defeated Republican Addul Ali in the strongly Democratic 12th Congressional District, which is anchored by Charlotte. Adams joined Congress in 2014 after a special election to fill a seat when then-Rep. Mel Watt resigned. Adams is a former college art professor who served on the Greensboro City Council, followed by 20 years in the state House. While in Congress, she’s been an assertive advocate for historically Black colleges and universities and is a founder of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. The Associated Press declared Adams the winner at 10:34 p.m. EST.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 17: Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) (R) is joined by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (L) and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) during the signing ceremony for the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act during in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol December 17, 2019 in Washington, DC. The FUTURE Act, which supports historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions, was passed as part of a larger federal budget bill that passed Tuesday and is expected to be signed by President Donald Trump. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)