Grant Hodges

Grant Logan Hodges (born May 1990),[1] is a political consultant from Rogers, Arkansas, was a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 96 in a portion of Benton County in the northwestern corner of his state.[2] He resigned his seat on July 10, 2020.[3]

Grant Logan Hodges
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 96th district
In office January 2015 – July 10, 2020
Preceded by	Duncan Baird
Succeeded by	Jill Bryant (elect)
Personal details
Born	May 1990 (age 30)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Meredith Hodges
Residence	Rogers, Benton County, Arkansas, USA
Alma mater	University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Occupation	Political consultant

Background

Hodges is a former resident of Ozark in Christian County in southwestern Missouri, where he graduated from high school. In 2012, he was named a finalist for a Harry S. Truman Scholarship while a student in the Honors College of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He was the chairman of the Senate for the UA Associated Student Government. He was also the youngest member of the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Committee, which earmarks spending from the municipal beautification fee.[4]

In 2013, Hodges received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. He was an intern that summer for the Heritage Foundation with special study in the field of health care. He is a member of the National Rifle Association. He is a Baptist.[5] In college he worked in the successful campaigns in 2010 to elect Republicans John Boozman to the U.S. Senate and Mark Darr as lieutenant governor.[4]

Political activities

In 2014, Hodges entered the Republican primary to choose a successor to the term-limited Duncan Baird of Lowell, Arkansas, who subsequently joined the administration of Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson as the budget director. Hodges won the nomination, 1,395 (69 percent) to 635 (31 percent) for Damon Dale Wallace of Gateway. The youthful Hodges carried the backing of State Senators Bart Hester and Cecile Bledsoe and the elderly former U.S. Representative John Paul Hammerschmidt of Arkansas's 3rd congressional district, who subsequently died on April 1, 2015. Hodges was only two years old when Hammerschmidt retired from Congress.[6][7]

In the November 4 general election, Hodges with 4,330 votes (59 percent), prevailed over Democrat Tom McClure, who polled 2,605 votes, and the Libertarian Michael J. Kalagias of Garfield in Benton County, who held the remaining 375 ballots.[8] Hodges was assigned to the House committees on: (1) Education and (2) Insurance and Commerce.[2]

In February 2015, Hodges supported House Bill 1228, sponsored by Bob Ballinger of Carroll County, which sought to prohibit government from imposing a burden on the free exercise of religion.[9] The measure passed the House, 72–20.[10] The measure was subsequently passed by a large margin in the House and signed into law in revised form, SB 975, by Governor Hutchinson.[11]

Hodges also supported legislation which allows public school teachers to withdraw memberships from labor unions at any time of their choosing, rather than making an irrevocable annual decision each August.[6]

References

1. "Grant Logan Hodges". intelius.com. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
2. "Grant Hodges". arkansashouse.org. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
3. "Husband, wife running to succeed each other in the same state House seat in Rogers". Arkansas Online. July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
4. "Three University of Arkansas Students Named as 2012 Truman Scholarship Finalists". uark.edu. February 29, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
5. "Grant Hodges". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
6. "Grant Hodges". Facebook. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
7. Kristen Coppola (February 19, 2014). "Aspiring Politician Uses Youth as an Asset". University of Arkansas Traveler. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
8. "District 96". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
9. "HB 1228". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
10. "HB 1228". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
11. "Gov. Hutchinson signs revised religious freedom bill; HB 1228 recalled". Little Rock: KTHV-TV. April 2, 2015. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.