Joshua Umbaugh

Joshua Umbaugh (Libertarian Party) is running for election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 40. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the Libertarian Party primary on May 5, 2026.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Josh Umbaugh grew up in a small Midwestern town where neighbors looked out for one another. These values that continue to guide him today. After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts, he and his wife settled in Miamisburg, where they’ve raised their daughter for over a decade. Josh serves his community through his church, youth soccer, and the Citizens Urban Forestry Advisory Board. Inspired by his daughter’s generation, he’s running for State Representative to restore trust, empathy, and common sense to local leadership by focusing on people, not political games.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Our district is made up of good people with many different ideas and priorities. That’s a strength, not a weakness. Representation should not be a tribal contest, nor should decisions come from lobbyists or party leadership. I promise to represent the people of District 40 and listen to them. I will not participate in the entertainment-driven outrage circus of culture wars.State representatives must be careful stewards of Ohioans’ hard-earned money. We should not bail out or subsidize large corporations, giving them unfair advantages over our locally owned small businesses. Government should not pick winners and losers.While Ohio has little power over foreign policy, we do have a responsibility to protect our Ohio National Guard. I support Defend the Guard legislation, which would prohibit deploying Ohio Guard troops to overseas combat without a formal congressional declaration of war. Since 2002, too many Guard members have been sent abroad instead of remaining ready to protect their neighbors here at home.

The misuse of our Guardsmen and Guardswomen who sign up to defend our communities and our nation is both unconstitutional and troubling. Sending them into overseas combat zones without proper authorization, or activating them in other American states and cities for dystopian political purposes, is an abuse of their service and intentions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Defending the will of Ohio voters. The legislature should respect the result of citizen ballot initiatives, rather than seeking new ways to criminalize behavior that Ohioans have clearly chosen to legalize.