State Rep. Rodney Creech’s Republican primary victory in Ohio House District 40 has ignited fierce local backlash amongst the liberal electorate after the West Alexandria lawmaker advanced despite a state investigation into alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor female relative.
Creech defeated former Rep. J. Todd Smith 58% to 42%, taking 6,712 votes to Smith’s 4,796, according to unofficial results reported by Tiffin Ohio. He will now face Democrat Timothy Hornbacker and Libertarian Joshua A. Umbaugh in November.
The result landed hard across Ohio political circles, especially among left-wing critics who viewed the win as another example of Republican voters and party leaders overlooking serious misconduct when power is on the line.
On Reddit’s r/Ohio forum, the reaction was one of eye-rolling and, frankly, disgust. Many pointed to campaign money, advertising, party loyalty, and voter apathy as possible explanations for Creech’s survival.
Reported by The allegations against Creech stem from a 2023 complaint that he climbed into bed with a minor female relative while wearing only underwear. Creech admitted to investigators that he got into bed with the minor, but denied the allegations were sexual. A special prosecutor later said Creech’s behavior was “concerning and suspicious,” but concluded the evidence did not meet the threshold for prosecution. No charges were filed.
Local anger turns toward GOP leadership
Much of the online anger centered not only on Creech, but on the Republican infrastructure around him. Critics noted that House Speaker Matt Huffman initially stripped Creech of committee assignments and asked him to resign, only to later restore him and support party endorsement.
One Reddit user connected the story to a previous Dayton Daily News report that Creech donated $4,100 to then-Preble County Prosecutor Martin Votel’s judicial campaign months after Votel was linked by the sheriff to the initial handling of the allegations. Votel denied wrongdoing, and Creech said the donation was simply one conservative supporting another.
Still, critics in Ohio were unconvinced. One commenter wrote, “$4,100 in Preble County isn’t ‘substantial,’ it’s huge.”
Others blamed political advertising. One user claimed, “We were inundated with his ads. Hundreds in the space of an evening.” A super PAC funded by DraftKings’ parent company reportedly boosted Creech late in the primary.
For many Ohio commenters, the takeaway was grim: scandal no longer disqualifies a candidate in a safely partisan race. As one local put it, “At some point, it’s all on the electorate.”
