This photo provided by the Concord Police Department shows New Hampshire state Sen. Jeff Woodburn. Woodburn, the Senate's minority leader, faces charges including simple assault, domestic violence and criminal mischief stemming from the encounters that took place both last year and this year. Woodburn is accused of hitting and biting a woman and kicking in the door of her house. (Concord Police Department via AP)
This photo provided by the Concord Police Department shows New Hampshire state Sen. Jeff Woodburn. Woodburn, the Senate's minority leader, faces charges including simple assault, domestic violence and criminal mischief stemming from the encounters that took place both last year and this year. Woodburn is accused of hitting and biting a woman and kicking in the door of her house. (Concord Police Department via AP)

Concord — The New Hampshire State Senate’s ranking Democrat is stepping down from his leadership post — but will not resign from his North Country seat — after he was arrested last week over domestic abuse-related charges.

In a statement on Monday, Sen. Jeff Woodburn, of Whitefield, said he would be stepping aside as minority leader to focus on defending himself in court and serving his constituents.

The Democratic caucus is expected to meet this evening to vote in an interim leader, a state party official said on Monday.

“I’m voluntarily stepping aside as minority leader to devote my full attention to clearing my name and representing my North Country constituents,” he said. “As a father, my family comes first. Supporting them will be my priority during the difficult time ahead.”

Woodburn, 53, was arrested on Thursday in Concord and charged by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office with nine misdemeanor counts related to domestic abuse, including four simple assault charges and two domestic violence charges.

In a news release on Thursday, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said Woodburn displayed a pattern of abusive behavior toward an “intimate partner.”

The three-term senator, who represents 58 towns, has faced a flood of calls from both Republicans and Democrats to resign from his seat. But a spokeswoman for Woodburn, Lisa Meyer, said he would remain in his position as the District 1 senator.

Woodburn previously has said he will defend himself against the charges in court. He faces an arraignment on Aug. 20.

As Woodburn vowed to relinquish his leadership post, Democratic party officials moved quickly to organize a vote for his replacement.

Under caucus rules, the state party is in charge of organizing leadership votes. Party leadership was working through the logistics on Monday afternoon for holding a vote “within the next 24 hours,” the official said, noting that some senators are out of state and may need to call in.

As a sitting member of the caucus, Woodburn may participate in the vote, but it was not immediately clear whether he would do so, the official said. 

Reacting to the news, Senate President Chuck Morse, R-Salem, called Woodburn’s decision a welcome development. But he urged Woodburn to go further and resign his seat as well.

“Although we have not yet received formal notification, Senator Woodburn’s decision to step down from his role as senate minority leader is a prudent one at this time,” Morse said.

“It is clear that he is unable to uphold the duties and responsibilities of the senate minority leader, but also as an elected official representing the communities of the first senate district.”