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No endorsement

The race

One state House seat is at stake in Ohio's House District 40, for a two-year term. The incumbent, Rodney Creech (Republican), is on the general-election ballot. The district's 2024 presidential baseline was R+51.3 (Wikipedia results summary). The confirmed general-election roster, from the Ohio General Election Guide - November 3, 2026 (Governmental Policy Group / RH Resources, updated September 21, 2026), is: Timothy Hornbacker (Democratic); Rodney Creech (Republican); Joshua Umbaugh (Libertarian).

Guide marks Creech with * = incumbent. The guide's columns do not carry third parties; Libertarian nominee Joshua Umbaugh is confirmed on the general ballot by the Cincinnati Enquirer (Sept. 17, 2026). Hornbacker won the Democratic primary as a write-in nominee per Wikipedia; the guide lists him without a write-in mark.

The Creech file, sourced: In 2023 a minor female relative accused Creech of climbing into bed with her while erect and wearing only his underwear, and text messages showed the minor complaining that Creech had been rubbing her legs and grabbing her waist. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigated. Creech admitted to investigators that he had gotten into bed with the minor in his underwear, and denied the sexual nature of the allegations. No criminal charges were pursued: the Clark County prosecutor who reviewed the case declined charges, writing that Creech's behavior was "concerning and suspicious" and that the alleged victim's statements were persuasive but uncorroborated, and that the evidence fell short of the threshold needed for prosecution. In May 2025 the allegations became public; House Speaker Matt Huffman asked Creech to resign and removed all of his committee assignments, including his chairmanship of the House Agriculture Committee. Creech did not resign; his committee seats were restored in February 2026, the Ohio Republican Party endorsed his re-election on February 20, 2026, and he won the May 2026 Republican primary 58–42 (Dayton Daily News; Cincinnati Enquirer; Wikipedia, "Rodney Creech," compiling the BCI record and reporting).

The candidates, claim by claim

Timothy Hornbacker (D), nominee. Timothy Hornbacker is the Democratic nominee on the guide's general-election list.

Pros: The Democratic nominee; the record located for the nominee is stated above and in the sources. Cons: No documented break with the Democratic Party toward this publication's values was located in the compiled record — no Manchin-test break. In the House, a Democratic organizing vote is priced lighter than in the Senate — a stalled House is not a lost House while the Senate holds — but it still organizes with a party opposed to this publication's values. The flaw, plainly: Enabler class, not extremist — a reliable party-line vote, which is the standing reason the exception for a Democrat is not earned here. No extremist classification is made: no documented DSA membership, self-described democratic-socialist identification, or authored socialist program was located for this candidate.

Rodney Creech (R), incumbent. Rodney Creech is the Republican incumbent on the guide's general-election list. His record carries the file stated in full in the race notes above: a BCI investigation into a 2023 allegation by a minor relative; an admission to investigators that he got into bed with the minor in his underwear, with any sexual nature denied; no charges filed; a prosecutor's written characterization of his behavior as "concerning and suspicious"; removal of his committee assignments and a resignation request from his own party's Speaker in May 2025; committee restoration and his party's endorsement in February 2026; renomination by primary voters.

Pros: A third-term incumbent and former county commissioner whose constituents know his record, renominated by his primary voters with the file in public view. Cons: The file in the race notes. An endorsement from this publication requires a record we can stand behind without reservation, and this one carries a reservation that cannot be argued away. The flaw, plainly: The alleged sexual misconduct is UNPROVEN — investigated, denied, and never charged, and this publication does not print it as fact. What is proven is narrower and still decisive against an endorsement: the admitted conduct (getting into bed with a minor relative in his underwear), the reviewing prosecutor's "concerning and suspicious" finding, and his own Speaker's conclusion that he should resign. That proven file is a personal-conduct file, priced at full weight.

Joshua Umbaugh (L), nominee. Joshua Umbaugh is the Libertarian nominee in the compiled record (Wikipedia's district record, compiling the Ohio Secretary of State primary canvass; the guide's columns carry only Democrats and Republicans).

Pros: A third option printed on this ballot. Cons: No record was located that supports an endorsement from this publication, and the Libertarian nominee is not the in-tent candidate in this race. The flaw, plainly: None proven was located in the compiled record — and no basis for an endorsement was located either.

OUR CALL

No endorsement. The Republican incumbent's file is stated in full in the race notes above, and it is the reason this race is called differently from every other Republican-held seat in this pass. What is proven: a state criminal investigation (Ohio BCI) into a 2023 allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor relative; the reviewing prosecutor declined charges, writing that the evidence fell short of the threshold for prosecution while calling the behavior 'concerning and suspicious'; the incumbent admitted to investigators that he got into bed with the minor while wearing only his underwear, and denies any sexual nature to it; his own party's Speaker asked him to resign and stripped his committee assignments and chairmanship in May 2025. What is not proven: the alleged sexual misconduct itself — no charges were filed, and an unproven accusation does not disqualify under this publication's standard, so we do not state it as fact and we do not call him guilty of it. Committees were restored in February 2026 and the Ohio Republican Party endorsed his re-election; primary voters renominated him 58–42. Weighing only what is proven — the admitted conduct, the prosecutor's characterization, and the Speaker's judgment — we cannot put this publication's endorsement behind this incumbent. The Democratic and Libertarian nominees earn no endorsement either: no Manchin-test break or in-tent record was located for either. District 40 voters have the full file above; the call is no endorsement.

For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, claim by claim — see the full coverage on our website.

Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Sources

Election result — November 4, 2026

Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.

AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.

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