One of the Arizona Democrats’ newest legislators has resigned from his position a little over a month after taking the role after allegations of sexual misconduct arose from his time as a student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
The Arizona House Democrats released a statement on Tuesday confirming that state Rep. Jevin Hodge resigned from his position.
“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.
Hodge was appointed to fill the position of Athena Salman, who resigned in January. He was sworn in on Feb. 2. His resignation comes one day after an article from the Arizona Republic was released detailing that Hodge was suspended from George Washington University almost a decade ago after a disciplinary panel ruled that he violated the school’s sexual misconduct policies.
“Today and every day, I take responsibility for my actions,” Hodge said in a statement announcing his resignation. “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,” he continued. “As I said yesterday, I unequivocally deny the allegations made against me. However, now is not my time to lead.”
In 2015, Hodge was found to have violated the school’s conduct standards after the victim said the incident began as a consensual encounter but turned into unwanted sexual conduct.
The now-former Democratic state representative released a statement on Monday denying the allegations.
“When I was a 21-year-old college student, I had a consensual romantic encounter with another student,” Hodge wrote in a statement posted to X. “We both had consumed alcohol and we remained clothed the entire time. I knew then as I know now that consent is non-negotiable, so when she made it clear she was not interested in continuing, we stopped.”
“Months later, I learned that she accused me of sexual misconduct,” he said. “I take responsibility for all of 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.”
Hodge said he requested that the police conduct an investigation “so the truth could come out” in 2016, but he was denied by the university. He apologized to the victim for the “distress” he caused her, as he could see during the hearing that he had “caused her emotional pain.”
The victim told the Arizona Republic that attorneys for Hodge threatened to sue her for defamation if she refused to drop the complaint at George Washington University and sign a nondisclosure agreement. Hodge did not respond to these accusations in his statement.
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Ahead of Hodge’s resignation, the Arizona Democrats said they would meet with Hodge before taking further action and that the allegations from 10 years ago had not been previously disclosed to the Democratic caucus, according to local outlet KJZZ.
Hodge went on to graduate from George Washington University, and he was considered a rising young leader within the Arizona Democratic Party before his resignation. He ran for the U.S. House in 2022 but lost to incumbent Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), who has served in Congress since 2013.
