Hastings expressed interest in running for mayor in the city of
Hillsboro, Ohio in June 2010 as a
Republican Party candidate. On January 20, 2011, Hastings took out a candidate petition to run for the position of mayor for the city of Hillsboro. Hastings filed his petition with the county's
Board of Elections, as did two other Republican hopefuls. With the city's
primary election held on May 3, 2011, Hastings won the
primary election with receiving 295 votes. On November 8, 2011, Hastings won the Hillsboro, Ohio general election garnering 1,008 votes and his opponent, John Levo, received 614 votes. He was sworn in on January 2, 2012. On July 12, 2016, Hastings was indicted on four charges, including elections fraud, following a months-long investigation by special prosecutors appointed by a Highland County judge. The counts included theft, theft in office and tampering with records. The judge in the case dismissed 2 of the 4 felony charges against Hastings, and a jury found him not guilty on the remaining charges on November 9, 2016. ==Electoral history==