(The Center Square) – Arizona state Rep. Jevin Hodge resigned from the state legislature on Tuesday morning as sexual misconduct allegations surfaced.
The Arizona Republic reported on Monday that Hodge received consequences when he was a student at George Washington University over alleged sexual misconduct.
“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,” Hodge said in a statement on Tuesday.
“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,” he continued.
Hodge was appointed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to the seat to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Athena Salman and took office on Feb. 2.
“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.
The Democrat was previously the party’s 2022 nominee in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District running against incumbent Republican Rep. David Schweikert. Schweikert defeated Hodge by 3,195 votes in the extremely competitive race, according to Politico.
Hodge released a statement on Monday after the story was released, referring to the allegations as a “consensual romantic encounter with another student” when he was 21 years old. He said he asked police in 2016 to “fully investigate these claims” but the “request” was rejected by the university.