The resignation of Mark Holodnak from the board of Arizona’s Legislative District 12 Democrats is the latest example of how quickly raw political outrage can turn into a self-inflicted scandal. What began as a protest tied to federal immigration enforcement operations in Phoenix ended with a viral video, widespread condemnation, and Democrats scrambling to put distance between themselves and one of their own.
Holodnak, who served as treasurer for the LD12 Democrats and had been active as a fundraiser and bundler for prominent Arizona Democrats, stepped down after footage circulated showing him hurling vulgar insults at two young women outside a Zipps Sports Grill in the Ahwatukee Foothills area. The incident occurred on January 26, shortly after Homeland Security Investigations conducted raids at multiple Zipps locations across the Valley. Those operations resulted in the arrest of 35 undocumented immigrants as part of a broader probe into unlawful employment of aliens, identity theft, and document fraud.
HAPPENING NOW: A mob of protesters descend upon a group of girls in Phoenix who took selfies with ICE agents. https://t.co/1pHE5k5m2G pic.twitter.com/a5NGqIwM3X
— R.C. Maxwell 🇺🇸 (@RCMaxw3ll) January 27, 2026
The video, captured by RedState, shows protesters surrounding and verbally harassing the two women after they paused to take selfies with DHS agents visible in the background. Holodnak can be seen repeatedly chasing and berating them until they managed to escape through a back alley. The footage spread rapidly, triggering outrage across social media and forcing a public response from Democratic officials connected to him.
In a resignation statement read to the Arizona Republic, Holodnak expressed regret for his behavior, saying he regretted “the manner I expressed myself” and that his words did not reflect his values or intentions. He offered an apology to the women involved and said he resigned effective immediately so his actions would not reflect on the work of the district organization. The statement, while contrite, did little to blunt the fallout.
That fallout extended beyond party leadership to elected officials Holodnak had supported financially. He was not merely a donor, but a bundler who hosted fundraising events for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who herself has been under fire for inflammatory rhetoric surrounding ICE operations. Mayes’ comments warning that masked federal agents could provoke deadly confrontations under Arizona’s “stand your ground” laws had already drawn criticism from Republicans and law enforcement groups, as well as the resignation of her police liaison. Her office later condemned Holodnak’s conduct and emphasized that it did not condone his actions.
SPOKESPERSON FOR AG MAYES @djquinlan has issued a statement:
“The Attorney General does not condone his words or actions from that video.”
They did not rule out the possibility of Mark Holodnak hosting future fundraisers for @AZAGMayes.
Soft statement in my humble opinion. https://t.co/0Hf4k5UheP pic.twitter.com/ekpZ4E3eca
— R.C. Maxwell 🇺🇸 (@RCMaxw3ll) January 29, 2026
Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton was also pulled into the controversy after it emerged that Holodnak had fundraised on his behalf as well. Stanton condemned the language used in the incident, calling it inappropriate and saying Holodnak should apologize. The episode has raised uncomfortable questions about the tone of anti-ICE activism in the state and the proximity of party officials to some of its most aggressive voices.
As protests tied to immigration enforcement continue in Phoenix, the Holodnak incident stands as a cautionary tale. In a political climate already charged with emotion, a single moment caught on camera can unravel years of party involvement and fundraising, leaving allies scrambling and underscoring how little tolerance there is for conduct that crosses obvious lines of decency.
