Adam Cleveland

Adam Cleveland graduated from North Springs High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in 2000 and a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2005. His career experience includes working as an attorney and small business owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Atlanta and have lived my whole life in Georgia. I got my college degree in Biology from the University of Georgia, followed by a law degree from the UGA school of law. I spent most of my years in Athens as an apartment maintenance man. I've been an attorney for the past 20 years, a small business owner, and most importantly, a husband and father.

I've already done the work of a legislator. From 2015 through 2020 I co-wrote, testified before the General Assembly to support, and ultimately shepherded the passage of three bills to ensure meaningful judgment enforcement in Georgia. My commitment to listening to the diverse needs and opposing views in our legislature led to the 2020 bill passing with unanimous approval in both chambers so divided they could not agree who had won the presidency that year. In 2025, I returned to the Capitol to testify against and defeat a bill that would have rendered money judgments largely ineffective. I take the representation of my business peers and community seriously, having served on the Board of the National Creditors Bar Association and as Chairperson for my Georgia Bar Section.

Like my family for generations, I am a proud Georgian. I am involved in my community as a member of The Temple in Buckhead and volunteer particularly at my children's schools. I enjoy spending time with my family, playing tennis and ultimate frisbee, watching UGA football, and serving as an unpaid Uber driver to my daughters.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Georgia's votes are under direct attack from a president actively seeking to end the constitutional republic and democracy as our system of government. States controlling their own voting processes are part of the checks and balances that keep our country free, and our right to vote is fundamental to who we are as a nation. I will protect the voting independence of Georgians above all else, and fight for the structural reforms that keep our government honest — term limits, ranked choice voting, independent district maps, and lowered barriers to third-party and non-party candidates. These changes will move us closer to the fair, free, and representative system that Georgians deserved all along.Georgians deserve medical care without financial ruin. Georgia must immediately opt-in for Medicaid Expansion to bring our own tax dollars BACK to Georgia. Our Republican-passed alternative spent 90% of its 2025 tax-funded budget on administrative and consulting costs. Medicaid pays out approximately 80% of its funding for patients' treatments. No responsible legislator should subject Georgians to a plan that costs more to deliver less. Furthermore, access to healthcare must include reproductive care and the right of all Georgians to make their own health decisions, free from government interference.We must ensure the next generations have the same opportunities we did — and to do that we must strengthen our public schools, protect our environment, and keep our kids safe from gun violence. Our educators are asked to do a challenging, vital job while our Republican lawmakers seek to bleed their school systems of revenue through private school vouchers and removing their funding pillars without replacement sources of income. I believe in public funds going to public resources, not private choices. We must give our teachers a raise and build the Georgia our children deserve to inherit.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about policies that make our electoral systems fairer and more representative for everyone — term limits, ranked choice voting, independent district maps, and lowered barriers to third-party and non-party candidates. Empowering Georgia's People through reforms like these allows us to make better progress in other important areas, including affordable healthcare and reproductive freedom, public education, housing, and the environment.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my father. He had a mission that he never stopped. He always put his family before himself and had the discipline to provide for our family needs before addressing our present wants.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The integrity to lose the job for yourself in order to DO the job for others.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities for someone elected to the state house are to make the changes that they run on — and then leave the seat so the next leader can do the same. I don't believe in career politicians placing their own ambitions ahead of the needs of Georgia's families. The seats in our legislature belong to us, not any individual, and those who hold them must remain accountable to their constituents by making way for new representation when the job is done.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Ranked choice voting for all elections in the state of Georgia and the same freedoms for my daughters that we had growing up here.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Veterinary clinic staff member, held for six years from middle school through high school.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Brevity.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I believe that the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature is one of both checks and balances as well as collaboration. It is up to these branches of government to hold each other accountable to the people of Georgia, and use their powers given in our state’s Constitution to block actions which might infringe upon their rights. In order to make progress, however, the legislature and governor must also be in communication to ensure that ideas and bills supported by Georgia's residents pass through into law in line with constituents’ interests.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

I perceive Georgia’s biggest challenge over the next decade to be fundamentally altering its voting and political processes so that independence from federal overreach becomes a guarantee for all Georgians, and basic human rights like reproductive freedom and medical care are revived and never again endangered for any party’s political gain.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I believe that compromise is necessary, but not on core values or priorities. Having passed bills through Georgia’s legislature, I know that listening and understanding diverse perspectives can strengthen a law and ensure that progress continues even where there is disagreement. However, I would not compromise where doing so betrays my values or the interests of my constituents– including the rights to bodily autonomy, the right of all people to have their votes counted, and the ability of all people in my district to lead healthy and affordable lives.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

My campaign has received endorsements from 314 Action, Georgia Majority for Gun Safety, and OATH.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The tragedy of the Challenger space shuttle.