Democratic Rep. Jevin Hodge resigns from Arizona House in wake of sexual misconduct report

PHOENIX – Freshly appointed Democratic Rep. Jevin Hodge resigned from the Arizona House on Tuesday, a day after a media report revealed that he was accused of sexual misconduct while he was in college nine years ago.

“We have accepted Representative Hodge’s resignation, which he offered in good faith and out of respect for our caucus, and we are prepared to move forward with the important business of the state,” House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras said in a statement.

How did Jevin Hodge respond to report about alleged sexual misconduct?

On Monday, the Arizona Republic reported that Hodge received a disciplinary suspension from George Washington University after an investigation into a woman’s allegations of unwelcome sexual contact in 2015, when Hodge was 21.

Hodge issued a statement after the report came out acknowledging that he had a romantic encounter with the accuser but denying improper conduct.

My statement on the Arizona Republic article out today: pic.twitter.com/OIRoFZO4JE

— Representative Jevin D. Hodge (@JevinHodge) March 18, 2024

“I take responsibility for all my actions and have used this experience to grow as an adult, but I must be clear: I unequivocally deny the allegations made against me,” he said. The statement indicated he planned to continue serving in the House, but he stepped down a day later.

He issued the following statement on Tuesday after submitting his resignation:

Today and every day, I take responsibility for my actions. I apologize now, again, to those that may have been caused pain by my actions. As a leader, I must demand more of myself.

Public service means knowing when to lead – and it also means knowing when to step aside. As I said yesterday, I unequivocally deny the allegations made against me. However, now is not my time to lead.

As a non-profit President, as a community leader, and as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, I have always put in the work on behalf of Arizona’s families to move our state forward. That work will not change – it will only have a different home.

How long had Hodge been in the Arizona Legislature?

Hodge, a Tempe native, lasted less than two months in the Legislature. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors selected him Jan. 31 to fill the vacancy in District 8 created when Athena Salman stepped down to work for an abortion rights advocacy group.

PRESS RELEASE: House Democratic Leadership statement on the resignation of Representative Jevin Hodge #azleg pic.twitter.com/k3rclTucfP

— Arizona House Democrats (@AZHouseDems) March 19, 2024

District 8 includes parts of Tempe, Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Before his appointment to the Legislature, Hodge nearly unseated Republican U.S. Rep. David Schweikert in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, losing by less than 1 percentage point in 2022.

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