Redistricting made AZ-01 several points better for Democrats in 2022, and it’s now a district that went for Biden and every other statewide Democrat since 2018. It is currently rated Lean Republican, but the GOP candidate has been weakened by a bruising primary and campaign scandal.
Democrat Jevin Hodge is a business and community leader with a proven record of getting results, a congressman whom Arizonans can count on to fight for a stronger economy, good-paying jobs, affordable health care, and the integrity of our vote and our democracy.
In sharp contrast, Hodge’s opponent, David Schweikert heads to November with a depleted war chest – both a result of his anemic fundraising and because he had to pay a $125,000 fine after he broke multiple campaign finance laws and abused donor money.
HIS BACKGROUND
Hodge grew up in Tempe, where he and his brother were raised by a single mom. Times weren’t easy – they lived in public housing and relied on food stamps, but Hodge’s mother always found a way to make ends meet. From her, he learned the values of faith, hard work, and service to others – values that drove him to public service and taught him to give back to his community. Hodgen has led the longest-running Head Start program in Arizona, where he used his business background to grow the organization to ensure that the next generation of Arizona students and their families have the support they need to thrive.
Hodge is a problem solver – he helps businesses, non-profits, and governments address their most pressing issues, like combating the COVID-19 pandemic or expanding access to high-quality public education. He will bring those same problem-solving skills to Congress.
ON THE ISSUES
Jevin Hodge believes that climate change is an existential threat to our planet but it can also be a huge opportunity for Arizona to lead the way in developing clean energy sources, especially solar. Hodge will be a leader for pro-climate, pro-market policy solutions to achieve that goal of net zero emission by 2050. In Arizona, that means thousands of skilled labor jobs to build, install, and maintain solar panels. It also means lower utility costs for all Arizonans because solar power is abundant. It also means increased national security because our energy is homegrown and does not have to rely on the whims of foreign dictators.
Hodge understands how difficult any decision about pregnancy is and he strongly supports every woman’s right to make that decision for herself. As Hodge has said, “We cannot sit idly by while our constitutional rights are being taken. Reproductive rights are civil rights. I will always and forever stand up to protect our most precious human and civil rights! That includes an individual’s right to an abortion if they chose to make that medical decision.”
Hodge was designated a Common Sense Gun advocate by Moms Demand Action and has their endorsement as someone who will stand for safer communities and advocate for better gun laws.
