Richard A. Hodges (born October 12, 1963) is an American politician who served as Director of the Ohio Department of Health from August 2014 to 2017.
[1] He is most known for being the titular defendant in the landmark civil rights case Obergefell v. Hodges, which he lost, resulting in the legalization of same-sex marriage everywhere in the United States.
While in the legislature Hodges chaired the House Commerce and Labor Committee responsible for Workers Compensation and employment law.
[4] 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.
[2] 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.