Representative Sandy Adams

Sandra “Sandy” Adams (born December 14, 1956) is an American politician, law enforcement professional, and United States Air Force veteran who represented Florida in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. A member of the Republican Party, she served one term in Congress as the U.S. representative for Florida’s 24th congressional district and previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2002 to 2010. Her congressional service occurred during a significant period in American history, during which she participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of her constituents.

Adams was born in Wyandotte, Michigan, on December 14, 1956. She moved with her family to Florida in 1964, where she was raised and would later build her career in public service. She entered the United States Air Force, serving her country in uniform before transitioning to a career in law enforcement and politics. Her early experiences in the military helped shape her views on national security, public safety, and government service, themes that would recur throughout her later legislative work.

After leaving active military service, Adams began a long tenure in local law enforcement. In 1985 she became an investigator for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, working in a variety of roles that exposed her to criminal justice issues at the ground level. While working full time, she pursued higher education and, in 2000, graduated from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice Administration. Her professional background in law enforcement and formal training in criminal justice informed her later legislative focus on public safety, criminal and civil justice policy, and domestic security.

Adams entered elective office at the state level when she was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2002. Representing her central Florida district, she quickly assumed leadership responsibilities. Within her first two years in the legislature, she served as Chair of the Seminole County Legislative Delegation, and over the course of her state service she also served as Chair of the Orange County Legislative Delegation. In the Florida House, she became Chair of the Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee and served as Vice Chair of the Criminal/Civil Justice Policy Council, the Public Safety/Domestic Security Policy Committee, and the Select Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review. She was also a member of the Full Appropriations Council on General Government and Health Care and the Rules and Calendar Council, giving her influence over both budgetary and procedural matters in the state legislature. She served in the Florida House from 2002 until 2010.

Building on her state legislative career, Adams sought federal office in 2009 when she filed to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 24th congressional district, challenging Democratic incumbent Suzanne Kosmas. In the 2010 Republican primary, she defeated Karen Diebel, Tom Garcia, Deon Long, and Craig S. Miller to secure the party’s nomination. Her campaign drew national attention and support, including an endorsement from former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Adams defeated Kosmas by a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent, earning a seat in the 112th Congress.

Adams served in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3, 2011, to January 3, 2013, representing Florida’s 24th congressional district. At the time, the district included much of northern Brevard County, including Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, as well as portions of Daytona Beach and Orlando. During her term in Congress, she was assigned to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on the Judiciary, where her background in law enforcement and criminal justice was particularly relevant. She was a member of several caucuses, including the Republican Study Committee, the Tea Party Caucus, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. As a member of the House of Representatives, Sandy Adams participated in the democratic process, contributed to the legislative work of the 112th Congress, and represented the interests of her constituents during a period marked by debates over federal spending, economic recovery, and government regulation.

Following the 2010 census, Florida underwent redistricting, and Adams’s district was substantially redrawn. For the 2012 election cycle, she ran in the newly configured Florida’s 7th congressional district, which became more compact and covered much of northern Orlando and most of Seminole County. In the new district, Adams retained approximately 51 percent of her former territory, while fellow Republican U.S. Representative John Mica retained about 42 percent of his. The two incumbents faced each other in the Republican primary held on August 14, 2012. In that contest, Mica defeated Adams by a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent. As a result, her service in Congress concluded at the end of her first term on January 3, 2013, after one term in office.

Adams remained active in Republican politics after leaving Congress. She announced her candidacy for the 2016 Republican primary in Florida’s 6th congressional district, seeking a return to the U.S. House. However, in January 2016 she withdrew from the race, citing health issues. Outside of elected office, she has continued to be associated with conservative causes and public policy discussions, drawing on her experience in the military, law enforcement, and legislative service at both the state and federal levels.

In her personal life, Adams and her husband reside in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. They have three children. She is an Episcopalian. Throughout her career, from her early service in the United States Air Force and as an investigator with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to her roles in the Florida House of Representatives and the U.S. Congress, Sandy Adams has been identified with issues of public safety, criminal justice, and limited government, reflecting the priorities of her central Florida constituency and her broader Republican affiliation.