Richard A. Hodges (born October 12, 1963) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

politician who served as Director of the Ohio Department of Health from August 2014 to 2017. He is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, serving from 1993 to 1999. He is most known for being the titular defendant in the

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

case ''

Obergefell v. Hodges ''Obergefell v. Hodges'', ( ), is a landmark LGBT rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection ...

'', which he lost, resulting in the legalization of

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

everywhere in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. After resigning his post in 2017, he became an outspoken supporter of

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...

and has become friends with his legal opponent, Jim Obergefell.

Life and career

Hodges graduated from

Archbold High School Archbold High School is a public high school in Archbold, Ohio, United States. It is the only high school in the Archbold Area Schools district. They are members of the Northwest Ohio Athletic League The Northwest Ohio Athletic League (NWOAL) is a ...

in Archbold, Ohio and received his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

with Honors in Government from

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

, Oberlin, Ohio. He later earned his Masters in Public Administration from the

University of Toledo The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of T ...

. Hodges was appointed County Treasurer of Fulton County, Ohio in 1987 and was elected to a full term in 1988. In 1992 he successfully ran for the Ohio House of Representatives. While in the legislature Hodges chaired the House Commerce and Labor Committee responsible for Workers Compensation and employment law. He also served on the Health and Retirement Committee, Ohio Turnpike Commission and the

Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (OBWC or BWC) provides medical and compensation benefits for work-related injuries, diseases and deaths. It was founded in 1912. With assets under management of more than $29 billion, it is the largest sta ...

Oversight Committee. He received the Watchdog of the Treasury from the United Conservatives of Ohio 3 times and the Friend of Life Award from the same organization once. Hodges chose not to run for reelection in 1998, instead choosing to work in the private sector for Community Hospitals of Williams County in

Bryan, Ohio Bryan is a city in, and the county seat of, Williams County, Ohio, United States. It is located in the state's northwestern corner, southwest of Toledo. The population was 8,729 at the 2020 census. History Bryan was platted in 1840 by John ...

from 1993 to 1998 and later

Fulton County Health Center Fulton County Health Center (FCHC) is a rural critical access hospital. It serves the community of Fulton County, and is located in Wauseon Ohio. Patient care statistics U.S. News & World Report collates the number of patients seen by the hosp ...

in Wauseon, Ohio from 1998 to 2000. He became Executive Vice President of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Northwestern Ohio from 2000 to 2005 where he was responsible for collective bargaining, employee assistance plans and Taft-Hartley health and welfare plans. He also served on the Toledo Public Schools Oversight Commission for construction and renovation of over 60 public school buildings in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

as well as the Board of Directors for the Regional Growth Partnership. From 2005 to 2009 he was CEO of the Tucson Association of REALTORS and Multiple Listing Service. While in Tucson he was active in leadership roles in various issue campaigns including the RTA Bond Issue initiative. He served a brief stint as Executive Director of the Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater Milwaukee before returning to Ohio. Hodges was the Executive Director of the

Ohio Turnpike Commission The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west in the northern section of ...

, from November 2011 to August 2014. While in that post he supported Governor John Kasich's plan to leverage $1 billion in bonds for investment in highway construction projects near the Ohio Turnpike.

Obergefell v. Hodges

Hodges took up his position as director of the Ohio Department of Health on August 11, 2014, under an appointment by Ohio governor John Kasich.Richard Hodges, MPA, Director, Ohio Department of Health
" (August 11, 2014). Ohio Department of Health. Retrieved 2015-04-26. In his capacity as the Director of the Ohio Department of Public Health, Hodges was the lead-named respondent in the 2015

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

case ''

''. The Supreme Court ruled against him, resulting in same-sex marriage being legalized in all 50 states. In 2017, Hodges resigned. Subsequently, he has expressed support for marriage equality—he attended a same-sex wedding just a few days after the decision—and has maintained a friendship with Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the case. The two former opponents have made public appearances together. After leaving government, Hodges became

Executive in Residence An Entrepreneur in residence, or Executive in residence (EIR), is a position most often held by successful entrepreneurs in venture capital firms, private equity firms, startup accelerators, law firms or business schools. The EIR typically leads, ...

and

Visiting Professor In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic for which the visitor ...

Ohio University Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodges, Richard 1963 births County officials in Ohio Living people Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Oberlin College alumni Ohio University faculty People from Sidney, Ohio State cabinet secretaries of Ohio University of Toledo alumni