Brandon Antone Hixon (October 26, 1981 – January 9, 2018) was an American politician and an Idaho Republican Party member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2012 to 2017, representing District 10, Seat A. He resigned in late 2017 while under criminal investigation and killed himself in January 2018.

Education

Hixon, a fourth-generation Idahoan, was born in 1981 and raised in

Salmon, Idaho Salmon is a city in Lemhi County, Idaho. The population was 3,112 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Lemhi County. Located in the Lemhi River valley, Salmon is home to the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural and Education Center, wh ...

.Coroner: Former lawmaker Brandon Hixon dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound
/ref> He graduated from

Salmon High School Salmon High School is a public high school located in Salmon, Idaho. Salmon High School is a part of the Salmon School District #291. Extracurricular activities Extracurricular activities offered by the school include FFA, Travel Club, Natur ...

. He went on to graduate from

Idaho State University , mottoeng = "The truth will set you free" , established = , former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...

with a degree in construction management.

Elections

2012

Hixon ran against Jarom Wagoner for the Republican nomination winning with 51.5% of the vote. Hixon won on the November 6, 2012, general election with 6,677 votes (54.0%) against Democratic nominee Travis Manning.

2014

Hixon was unopposed in the May Republican Primary. Hixon defeated Manning again, winning with 58.9% of the vote.

2016

Hixon was unopposed in the May Republican Primary. Hixon defeated Jeremy Lopett in the general election winning with 67.0% of the vote.

Criminal investigation and resignation

On October 18, 2017, the

Caldwell, Idaho Caldwell (locally CALL-dwel) is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho. The population was 59,996 at the time of the 2020 United States census. Caldwell is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area. Caldwell is the location of ...

, police department confirmed that Hixon was the subject of a criminal investigation. On October 19, 2017, Hixon submitted his letter of resignation via email to House Speaker

Scott Bedke Scott Conrad Bedke (born April 27, 1958) is an American politician serving as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives for the 27A district. In December 2012, Bedke defeated fellow Republican Lawerence Denney to become speaker of the Idaho ...

and Governor

Butch Otter Clement Leroy "Butch" Otter (born May 3, 1942) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd governor of Idaho from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2006, and reelected in 2010, and 2014. Otter ...

, effective immediately. On October 26, 2017, the Caldwell Police Department turned the criminal investigation over to the Idaho Attorney General's Office. On October 31, 2017, it was reported that Hixon was under investigation for "sexual abuse allegations" from a police report dated October 25, 2017. In January 2018, an article in the ''Idaho Statesman'' cited police records indicating Hixon was suspected of repeated and protracted sexual abuse of two minor females, one of them a relative. He killed himself before the case was taken before a

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

and was never charged with any crime.

Personal life and death

Hixon and his wife, Danielle, had five children. They divorced in 2016. Not all of his children were with his wife, Danielle. In 2004 and 2005 Brandon fathered two children with Ashley Jo Graham, to whom he was never married. On January 9, 2018, a family member found Hixon dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his home in Caldwell, Idaho. He was 36 years old.Former Caldwell Rep. Brandon Hixon found dead in home
/ref>

References

External links

Brandon A. Hixon
at the Idaho Legislature
Archived Campaign Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hixon, Brandon 1981 births 2018 deaths Boise State University alumni Idaho State University alumni Republican Party members of the Idaho House of Representatives People from Caldwell, Idaho People from Salmon, Idaho 21st-century American legislators Suicides by firearm in Idaho American politicians who died by suicide 2018 suicides 21st-century Idaho politicians