Voting has started for the Ohio Primary Election. Montgomery County voters can vote at the Board of Elections in downtown Dayton, Monday through Friday, 8 am - 5 pm, with additional hours the last week of April and first weekend of May ahead of May 5 in-person voting.

The Primary election, where voters decide whether to take a Republican, Democrat or Independent ballot, narrows the field and allows voters to select representatives from their party to be on the ballot for the General Election in November. Ohio does not require voters to register for a political party, so voters may decide at the polls which ballot they want to vote.

Jackson Township Road and Police Levies

Jackson Township voters will see two tax levies on the ballot, both property tax renewals.

According to the ballot language, Issue 17, a road levy, will collect $161,692 annually, which amounts to $49 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value, for 4 years.

The police levy, Issue 18, will collect $122,409 annually, which amounts to $32 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value, for five years.

Township Trustee Mike Moyer pointed out that these renewals will include no additional cost to voters. “This is the third renewal on the road levy and we’ve been doing a good job keeping the roads up,” he said.

Without the levies, the Township will “cut back on road repairs,” Moyer said. “Police won’t get new cruisers and equipment, but we will still have police on the streets,” he said.

State Representative Race

The May Republican Primary, which pits incumbent Rodney Creech against local pastor and former legislator J. Todd Smith, will likely be the deciding factor for who represents this area in Columbus. Libertarian Josh Umbaugh is also in the race and will face the winner of this election in November. See: Ohio District 40 Race Kicks Off

Rodney Creech

Creech, a businessman and Preble County resident, who has been endorsed by Republicans in Columbus and includes an image of President Trump on his campaign materials, is running for his fourth and final term due to term limits in the Ohio House.

Creech has had controversy. He was investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) before winning the 2024 election, but was not charged with any criminal activity. The fallout continued into May 2025 when he was removed from his committee assignments by Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman. He reclaimed his committee assignments earlier this year, prior to his endorsement.

In a statement to the TWIN CREEK TIMES, Creech said, “It has been my honor to serve the people of our district in the Ohio House of Representatives for the past three terms. I know our communities because I live here, work here, and raise my family here. I’ve listened to concerns, celebrated successes, and fought for the issues that matter most.”

“I’m running for my fourth and final term because there is still more to accomplish. I want to keep building on the progress we’ve made together, supporting practical solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives. I will continue to bring experience, dedication, and a commitment to represent our values and our voices in Columbus. I’m asking for your support so we can ensure that our district remains strong and has a conservative voice.”

J. Todd Smith

Smith served one term in the Ohio House 2018-2020, in what was then the 43rd District. An attack ad against his opponent in that race was paid for by a group linked to the $60 million corruption scheme orchestrated by then-Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder, who is currently in federal prison. Smith denied involvement in the ad.

Smith initially planned to run for reelection in 2020, but dropped out of the race after he was already on the ballot. Like now, he was facing a primary against Rodney Creech.

Smith, a Jackson Township resident who serves as Senior Pastor at The Church at Farmersville, is also an Army certified chaplain in the Ohio National Guard.

In a campaign video, Smith made the case for his candidacy, “We're at a critical time in our state, politically and culturally. We're facing serious issues, and it's going to take serious people to do the difficult work. For the last number of years, though, too much of our political energy has been spent on fighting other Republicans, unnecessary frivolities and trying to excuse inept leadership.”

He concluded his video by stating, “We're facing serious issues as a state and even as a party. We must address property taxes and school funding, data center solar farms and the numerous other cultural divisions that are being forced upon us by extremists. We must also guide our party back to serving the people and a reliance on our winning principles.”

View your ballot for the May election

See the early voting schedule

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