Wes Goodman

Goodman was born into a family of farmers and first responders,[http://www.morrowcountysentinel.com/news/934/goodman-announces-bid-for-republican-nod-for-87th-district "Goodman announces bid for Republican nod for 87th district"]. The Morrow County Sentinel. June 30, 2015. and is a native of Cardington, Ohio.[http://thecourier.com/breaking-news/2017/11/15/87th-district-representative-wes-goodman-resigns/ "87th District Representative Wes Goodman resigns"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118171832/http://thecourier.com/breaking-news/2017/11/15/87th-district-representative-wes-goodman-resigns/ |date=2017-11-18 }}. The Courier. November 15, 2017.[http://nbc4i.com/2017/11/15/ohio-state-house-rep-wes-goodman-resigns-after-inappropriate-behavior/ "Ohio State House Rep. Wes Goodman resigns after ‘inappropriate behavior’"]. WCMH-TV, NBC (Columbus, Ohio). November 15, 2017. He graduated in 2006 from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he majored in politics and government.

Goodman worked briefly for former U.S. senator and Ohio attorney general Mike DeWine before joining the staff of U.S. representative Jim Jordan (R-OH). By 2013, Goodman was serving as the managing director of the Conservative Action Project.

In June 2015, Goodman announced his candidacy for the District 87 seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. Jeffrey McClain, the District 87 representative at the time, could not run again in 2016 due to term limits.{{cite web | title = Goodman seeks seat in Ohio house

| url = http://www.marionstar.com/story/news/local/2015/06/15/goodman-seeks-seat-ohio-house/71263780/|newspaper=The Marion Star | date = June 15, 2015 | accessdate = December 26, 2020}} In the March 2016 Republican primary, Goodman defeated former state representative Steve Reinhard with 41% of the vote;{{cite web | title=2016 Official Elections Results | url = https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/election-results-and-data/2016-official-elections-results/ | publisher=Ohio Secretary of State | accessdate = December 26, 2020}} Reinhard had represented the same seat from 2001 to 2008. Goodman ran unopposed in the 2016 general election.{{cite web | title=2016 Official Elections Results | url = https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/election-results-and-data/2016-official-elections-results/ | publisher=Ohio Secretary of State | accessdate = July 8, 2019}} His term began on January 4, 2017.

In October 2015, an 18-year-old man accused Goodman of sexually assaulting him. This was reported to Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, who confronted Goodman about the allegation and referred to other "similar incidents." Perkins withdrew his political support, but Goodman did not withdraw his candidacy for the Ohio legislature and was elected in 2016. These incidents were apparently never reported to the police and did not become public knowledge until after Goodman's resignation.{{cite news|last1=Kindy|first1=Kimberley|title=How a conservative group dealt with a fondling charge against a rising GOP star|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-conservative-group-dealt-with-a-fondling-charge-against-a-rising-gop-star/2017/11/17/b3b4b8da-c956-11e7-b0cf-7689a9f2d84e_story.html|accessdate=November 20, 2017|newspaper=Washington Post|date=November 17, 2017}}

Goodman described himself as a supporter of "traditional marriage," having told constituents that the "ideals of a loving father and mother, a committed natural marriage, and a caring community are well worth pursuing and protecting."{{cite news |last=Oppenheim |first=Maya |date=November 16, 2017 |title=Anti-LGBT politician resigns after being 'caught having sex with man in his office' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lawmaker-wes-goodman-anti-lgbt-resigns-sex-man-office-caught-ohio-republican-christian-family-values-a8060631.html |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=November 19, 2017}} In 2012 he married an assistant director of the March for Life.{{cite web|title=Bethany Goodman, Assistant Director|url=http://marchforlife.org/bethany-goodman/|website=March for Life|access-date=2017-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117175018/http://marchforlife.org/bethany-goodman/|archive-date=2017-11-17|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Bethany Goodman: SBA List Young Leader Award Recipient|url=http://marchforlife.org/bethany-goodman-sba-list-young-leader-award-recipient/|website=March for Life|accessdate=November 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117175101/http://marchforlife.org/bethany-goodman-sba-list-young-leader-award-recipient/#|archive-date=2017-11-17|url-status=dead}} The couple had no children and subsequently divorced after Goodman resigned his office November 14, 2017, after a non-staffer witnessed him and an unnamed adult male having consensual{{cite news |last=Ring |first=Trudy |date=November 16, 2017 |title=Far-Right Ohio Lawmaker Resigns After Liaison With Man in His Office |url=https://www.advocate.com/politicians/2017/11/16/far-right-ohio-lawmaker-resigns-after-liaison-man-his-office-0 |newspaper=The Advocate |access-date=June 5, 2024}} sexual relations in Goodman's office. The Speaker of the Ohio House, a Republican, Cliff Rosenberger, described the incident as "inappropriate behavior related to his state office."

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• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921033506/http://www.ohiohouse.gov/wesley-a-goodman|date=September 21, 2017|title=Representative Wesley A. Goodman (R) - District 87 The Ohio House of Representatives}}

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{{s-bef|before=Jeffrey McClain}}

{{s-ttl|title=Ohio House of Representatives, 87th District|years=2016–2017}}

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives

Category:Ohio Wesleyan University alumni

Category:People from Cardington, Ohio

Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly