Paul Hodes is an attorney, artist, community leader, two-term congressman from New Hampshire’s second congressional district and a consultant to businesses and not-for profit institutions.
After graduating from Dartmouth College and Boston College Law School, Hodes began his career in New Hampshire as an Assistant Attorney General under then-Attorney General David Souter. Hodes first served in the criminal justice division, where he pursued a series of successful homicide prosecutions and the first successful environmental prosecution against polluters. He continued as the Special Prosecutor for the State of New Hampshire where he led the successful prosecution of the largest white-collar fraud scheme to date in the State’s History, the “Stewart-Meyers” case. Prior to his congressional service, Hodes was a shareholder and director of the New Hampshire law firm, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A.
Throughout his career, Hodes has also devoted substantial time to community service and advancing the arts in New Hampshire. He and his wife were long time members of the State’s touring artist roster and he has worked professionally as a producer, playwrite, actor, songwriter, recording artist and musician, most notably earning Parents Choice awards for groundbreaking family music. He served as a New Hampshire State Councilor for the Arts under then-Governor Jeanne Shaheen. As Chairman of the Board of the Capitol Center for the Arts from 1990-1996, Hodes helped to lead the Concord community’s efforts to create a premiere, award-winning performing arts institution that now serves as an important economic engine for the city. He has also served on the board of the Concord Community Music School and as chairman of the board of Tricinium, Ltd. In other community service, Hodes served as the first chairman of the Board of Familystrength and as a board member of the NH Children’s Alliance.
Hodes was elected to Congress in 2006, and became the President of the historic 2006 freshman class. As a member of Congress, Hodes served on the House Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Oversight, where he focused on understanding how to make markets work better and institutions function more effectively in the wake of the financial collapse of 2008.
In his time in Congress, Hodes successfully passed new laws and provisions in health insurance, economic development, small business, veterans’ services, and financial services. He created the Northern Border Development commission, a federal-state partnership that funds economic development in the North Country of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and New York. He wrote and passed Michelle’s Law, which ensures that college kids who get seriously ill will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance. He passed expanded depreciation rules to help small businesses invest in equipment and expand. And he helped to craft a series of reforms to induce greater investment in green building and the creation of financial instruments that support renewable energy investment.
Hodes was also the first member of Congress from an early primary state to endorse then-Senator Obama for President and served as his National Co-Chairman, appearing frequently in national media outlets representing the campaign. He has also subsequently been a frequent guest on cable news, and especially on Bloomberg business news helping to describe and explain the changing regulations in the financial sector. Hodes was the democratic candidate for the United States Senate in 2010.
Hodes is a founder and Principal of Northern Connection, LLC. a consulting firm connecting and advising New England Institutions on federal government relations, strategic communication, community relations, board development and fundraising.
Hodes currently serves on the advisory board of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm’s College and as a board member of the NJDC. He is affiliated with ASCAP as a writer and publisher as a member of Big Round Music, LLC. He is a member of NARAS and of the AFM, local 374.
