Valarie Dawn Hope Hodges | |
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Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 64th district |
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Assumed office January 9, 2012 |
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Preceded by | Bodi White |
Personal details | |
Born | March 12, 1955 |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Leland Hodges (married 1972) |
Children |
Michael Leland Hodges |
Residence |
Denham Springs Livingston Parish Louisiana, USA |
Alma mater | Central (Louisiana) High School |
Occupation | Businesswoman |
Religion | Baptist |
Michael Leland Hodges
Kellie Nicole Hodges
Valarie Dawn Hope Hodges (born March 12, 1955) is a businesswoman from Denham Springs in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 64. In addition to Denham Springs, Hodges represents the communities of Brownsfield, Pride, Watson, Central, Walker, Baker, and a portion of Zachary within Livingston or East Baton Rouge parishes.
Politically allied with U.S. Senator David Vitter, Hodges was elected in 2011 to succeed fellow Republican Representative Bodi White, who instead was elected to the revamped District 6 seat in the Louisiana State Senate to succeed Julie Quinn, who did not seek reelection. Hodges defeated fellow Republican Barry Elkins in the primary election held on October 22, 2011. She received 7,145 votes (69.1 percent) to Elkins' 3,194 (30.9 percent).
Hodges carried the support of the Tea Party movement. She also won the support of then Governor Bobby Jindal.
Hodges is one of the eight members of the executive committee of the Republican State Executive Committee. She is a past president of the Livingston Parish Republican Women's Club. She met her husband, Leland M. Hodges, at Central High School, from which they graduated. The couple was wed in 1972 in the Amite Baptist Church in Watson. They have three children, Michael Leland Hodges (born 1974), and Kellie Nicole Hodges (born 1980). The Hodgeses jointly own and operate two small businesses.