Thomas Burton Adams Jr.

In 1970, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Reubin Askew selected Adams as his running mate. Askew and Adams defeated incumbent Republicans Governor Claude Roy Kirk and Lieutenant Governor Ray Osborne. Adams was the second lieutenant governor following the position's reinstatement after over 80 years. He was the first Democrat to hold the position under the 1968 Constitution.

Though Adams was relied upon in the 1970 gubernatorial race as a seasoned Florida political veteran, he quickly became a liability over the course of his term. Askew, acting on the recommendation of political adviser Michael G. Kimber, appointed him state Secretary of Commerce, but Adams ran into ethical problems in 1973 when it was discovered that, in debt, he was leasing a 1,000-acre (4.0 km²) farm in Quincy, Florida, and was using a department employee to manage it on government time. He was forced to repay $1,736 to the state and was censured by a legislative committee in lieu of impeachment. The scandal was the primary reason he was dropped from the 1974 ticket in favor of Jim Williams, who succeeded Adams as lieutenant governor after the Askew-Williams ticket's successful election.^[2]

قُتل آدمز في حادث تصادم على الطريق السريع 10 عند حدود مقاطعتي سواني وكولومبيا حوالي الساعة 2:50 مساءً يوم 22 مايو/أيار 2006. وكان ابنه توماس بيرتون آدمز الثالث، البالغ من العمر 18 عامًا، برفقته في سيارة فورد إكسبلورر سبورت تراك موديل 2004 التي كان يقودها آدمز وقت الحادث، وأُصيب بجروح خطيرة. وقع الحادث على بُعد حوالي 16 كيلومترًا (10 أميال) شمال شرق مدينة لايف أوك، عاصمة مقاطعة سواني . لم يكن آدمز يرتدي حزام الأمان وقت وقوع الحادث. وأمر الحاكم جيب بوش بتنكيس جميع المباني الحكومية حدادًا على آدمز.