Biography
Congressman Paul W. Hodes was elected to represent New Hampshire's second congressional district on November 7, 2006. He defeated six-term incumbent Charles Bass.
A native of New York City, Congressman Hodes moved to New Hampshire and received his B.A., cum laude, from Dartmouth College in 1972. During his college years, he helped found and operate an audio retail business. After college, the Congressman worked in the entertainment and media industry, including stints in theater, film, television, radio and music as a performer, writer and producer. Of note is his starring role in the original off-Broadway cast production of "What's a Nice Country like you doing in a State like This?" in 1973 and the premiere of his play, "The Edsel was a Mistake" at Playwright's Horizons in New York in 1975. That same year, Congressman Hodes entered Boston College Law School and earned his J.D., cum laude, in 1978.
Upon graduation from law school, Congressman Hodes returned to New Hampshire to begin his legal career in the New Hampshire Attorney General's office. David Souter, then New Hampshire's Attorney General and now a United Sates Supreme Court Justice, asked Hodes to join the criminal justice division. Congressman Hodes served as an Assistant Attorney General from 1979 until 1982 and continued as the Special Prosecutor for the State of New Hampshire through an act of the legislature until 1983. His service to the state was distinguished by a number of high-profile prosecutions including the first successful criminal environmental prosecution against polluters which resulted in the offenders receiving jail time, directing the investigation and serving as lead prosecutor on a notoriously complex white collar securities fraud case, and a series of successful homicide prosecutions.
The Congressman entered private practice in 1983 and co-founded the firm of Roussos, Hage & Hodes. In 1986 he joined the firm of Shaheen & Gordon, where he served as a partner until launching his successful 2006 congressional campaign. During his legal career, the Congressman focused on commercial and corporate litigation, family law and entertainment law. He was elected Chair of the Manchester Bar Association.
Congressman Hodes has been devoted to community service throughout his career. He served as a New Hampshire State Councilor on the Arts, first appointed by then-governor Jeanne Shaheen. As Chairman of the Board of the Capitol Center for the Arts from 1990-1996 and then again as a member of the board from 2002-2006, the Congressman helped lead the Concord community's efforts to create a premiere, award-winning performing arts institution. Today, having been recognized for the quality of its innovative programming and educational initiatives, the Capitol Center for the Arts serves as a model for urban revitalization and grassroots community initiatives in cities across the country. The Congressman also served as the first Chairman of the Board of Family Strength, a highly successful not-for profit which provides support to entire families upon court referral of troubled youth as an alternative to juvenile incarceration. He also served as a board member for the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire, the Concord Community Music School and Tricinium Ltd., a Monadnock area arts organization.
The Congressman has been married for 28 years to Peggo Horstmann Hodes, a versatile singer and teacher. Together, they have produced numerous recordings in various styles and two wonderful children, Max and Ariana. Beginning in 1985, Peggo and Paul released their first recording of pioneering rock-and-roll for children and families, garnering multiple Parents' Choice awards. They were invited to perform at the White House in 1996 on the strength of their folk record "Patchwork Quilt, a Celebration of American Spirit". Combining his love of music and politics, the Congressman wrote the book and lyrics for the political musical "The People's House" which premiered in 2001. Congressman Hodes and his wife have been asked to perform together at a variety of charity and fundraising events, and is a proud member of the American Federation of Musicians, ASCAP and The National Music Publishers Association.
Soon after being sworn in as a member of the United States Congress, Congressman Hodes was elected president of the historic freshman class of 2006 by his 41 democratic colleagues and chair of their caucus, "The Class of 2006". He serves on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the National Security and Foreign Affairs and the Information Policy, Census, and National Archives subcommittees, and the Financial Services Committee and the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises subcommittees. During the first six months of his first term, the Congressman introduced legislation to form the Northern Border regional economic commission and to create an ombudsman's office in the office of Veteran's Affairs. He serves on the Arts Caucus, the Recording Arts Caucus and was appointed by Speaker Pelosi to the American-Canadian Inter-Parliamentary working group.
Congressman Hodes and his constituents care about the environment and energy policy, issues of war and peace, the quality of education, a working system of heath care for everyone, the virtue of local control, integrity in public service, New Hampshire's "first-in the nation" primary and independent political thinking. Dedicated to constituent service, the Congressman maintains 5 district offices, including the first ever congressional office in the city of Berlin, New Hampshire.