Alan Suderman over at the AP beat us to the punch!
Adams runs the government investigations department at legal and lobbying powerhouse McGuireWoods. He previously worked as associate counsel to President George W. Bush, assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas on the U.S. Supreme Court.
A Chesterfield county native and former naval officer, Adams is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia School of Law. He’s also the father of four boys, ranging in age from 3 to 11.
Adams said his work both in the public and private sector make him “uniquely qualified” for the demands of the attorney general’s office.
Bell said he welcomed Adams to the race.
Delegate Rob Bell — the presumptive frontrunner in the contest — has an overwhelming cash lead on top of stellar name ID among Republican activists and convention delegates. Adams being relatively new to the political combat will have an uphill fight… but one suspects instinctively that Adams will not throw low punches. Nor will Bell, if his well-executed and honorable 2013 AG bid against State Senator Mark Obenshain is any indicator of the future.
Having met Adams briefly, he’s an incredibly genuine human being. Clerking for Justice Thomas is impressive to say the least, and though his political roots may not be terribly deep — in fact, this is about as outsider a candidate as they come if one ignores the McGuire Woods connections — the authentic spirit of service is clearly there.
Other names angling for a possible AG run — namely State Senator Bill Stanley — are rumored to be in the contest, but with the General Assembly in session are not expected immanently.
Press release expected shortly…
UPDATE: Progress VA isn’t very happy with John Adams. Why? Because John Adams likes the Little Sisters of the Poor. From their own press release:
John D. Adams filed amicus briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in both Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell, arguing against federal provisions for universal access to free and low-cost birth control and in support of a ruling that would allow bosses to determine what birth control options their employees may access.
Because nuns need government-enforced birth control…
These people are really messed up.
UPDATE x2: DPVA gets into the game too, taking exception with Adams’ involvement in the Hobby Lobby case:
“Attorney General Mark Herring has been a tireless advocate for women’s health, promoting equality and justice, and working with law enforcement to keep Virginia communities safe. Republicans continue to astound with the candidates they put forward who have fought so publicly against the interests of Virginia women and families.”
Translation: “Herring has been a tireless advocate for Planned Parenthood’s business practices, violating the Virginia Constitution, and working with law enforcement by working against law enforcement. Please don’t challenge Herring. Weird is the new normal now, and if you don’t like that, you’ll get sued. kthxbai.”
Got it.
UPDATE x3: Official press release is as follows below:
RICHMOND – John Adams, a Chesterfield County native, former naval officer, and prominent Virginia attorney, announced today that he will seek the Republican nomination for Attorney General in 2017.
“I am not a politician, but like many citizens across the Commonwealth, I am frustrated with our government and those who run it,” Adams said. “At the federal level, the government intrudes—often beyond Constitutional limits—into virtually every aspect of our lives. Here in Virginia, we are governed by liberal Democrats and career politicians who believe the answer to any problem is more government and more erosion of our individual liberties,” Adams continued.
John Adams was born and raised in Chesterfield County. A distinguished graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Adams earned his Economics degree in 1996. Upon graduation, he received his commission as a United States Naval Officer. John served two tours—deploying from Pearl Harbor to the Persian Gulf and from Norfolk to Central America for counter-narcotics operations.
After serving in the Navy, John attended the University of Virginia School of Law. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas on the United States Supreme Court, then served as Associate White House Counsel for President George W. Bush. John eventually returned home to the Richmond area to serve as a federal prosecutor, where he prosecuted violent criminals, white-collar felons, and corrupt public officials.
The grandson of Dr. Theodore F. Adams, the longtime pastor at Richmond’s First Baptist Church, John now practices at McGuireWoods. He leads the firm’s Government Investigations department, managing more than fifty lawyers worldwide. John and his wife Lisa, also a native of the Richmond area, met in high school and were married after law school. Their four sons attend the same Chesterfield County Public Schools their parents did.
“I have spent the majority of my professional life serving our country and fighting to protect the values that make it the greatest nation on earth. I look forward to traveling across Virginia in the coming months to help elect a Republican president in 2016 and defeat Mark Herring in 2017,” Adams said. “I have the experience necessary to represent the Commonwealth, defend our rights in court, preserve our safety, and protect my fellow Virginians’ ability to govern themselves the way they see fit.”
