Smith is the third Republican — alongside University of Cincinnati law student Lew Lainhart and Trenton Mayor Ryan Perry, who has already been endorse by Creech — to enter the race.
The heavily Republican district is currently represented by Creech, who challenged Smith in the 2020 Republican primary and eventually won the seat after Smith withdrew ahead of the primary, saying he wanted to “re-set my priorities, put my family first and devote more time at home.”
There will be no incumbent in the 2026 race, as Creech is running for an Ohio Senate seat against Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp.
Perry, who has served on Trenton council since 2011, said on Facebook he intends to uphold Creech’s “high standard of dedication” in representing Ohio’s 40th House District.
Lainhart, a former clerk at the Ohio Statehouse, said on his campaign website that he’d spend his time in Columbus “protecting farmers, lowering taxes, and defending the principles that make Ohio great.”
Smith said in his announcement last week: “For more than four decades, I have devoted my life to serving others be it in Christian ministry, the military or my community. I am running for the Ohio House to ensure that the values that shaped my life; faith, family, and community remain at the heart of Ohio’s future.”
Smith first joined the Ohio House in 2018 when he won a Republican primary to fill a vacant seat in the chamber. He then ran a campaign for a full term, squeaking out a win against then-Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley by 50.53% to 49.47%.
That race was colored, in part, by an attack ad against Foley paid for by a group called Hardworking Ohioans, which federal prosecutors linked to an alleged $60 million corruption scheme orchestrated by then-Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder, who is currently in federal prison for his role in the scheme.
Smith told the Dayton Daily News in 2018 that he had no connection with the Foley attack ad, which he described as “in bad taste.”
Montgomery County Board of Elections Director Jeff Rezabek confirmed this week that no potential 2026 candidates have filed their paperwork with the board. The deadline is Feb. 4, 2026.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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