Jennifer Adams is running for her third term on the Tempe City Council after more than 30 years employed at the city and working to ensure public systems help all Tempe residents.
Adams is one of the three incumbents who have served the council through controversies revolving around the Coyotes’ arena proposal and the park ordinance, and she says going forward she wants to move more slowly to ensure that all residents are heard.
“I want everyone to know that they have a seat at the table,” she said.
One of her greatest accomplishments from her time on council has been annexing a more than 70-acre county island north of the Loop 202. Seventeen acres now belong to Tempe.
“It’s kind of an eyesore, and I think it would be a great place to put in more housing,” she said.
Adams said she is proud of numerous other actions, such as the Crown Act, which included hairstyles as part of Tempe’s anti-discrimination laws.
She also sits on the council’s Scooter Safety Subcommittee, which is working to develop regulations regarding electric scooter safety in the city.
“I like to help people. If someone in Tempe needs help, call me, and I will do everything I can to resolve the issue.”
Her long career in the political spotlight also comes under scrutiny. Large white signs that read “Do Not Elect Jen Adams” sit on various street corners, and until recently, it was the only campaign against a city council candidate.
Adams said she believes the campaign targeted her for her sexuality as she is part of the LGBTQ community.
“I’ve been discriminated against since I was 15 one way or another; it really helps me be empathetic to other people’s struggles with what I’ve gone through,” she said.
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Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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