Miller Stays in Ohio Race as GOP Faces 44-43 Deadlock

Rep. Max Miller is staying in Ohio's 7th District race despite abuse allegations, leaving Republicans to defend a seat that polls show is statistically tied.

Rep. Max Miller refused to quit Ohio's 7th District race ahead of Wednesday's ballot-replacement deadline, leaving Republicans committed to a nominee trailing 44-43 in a district Trump carried by double digits.

"If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them," Bernie Moreno, the Ohio Republican senator and Miller's former father-in-law, said in urging his former son-in-law to withdraw.

The June survey by Democratic firm GBAO Strategies found Miller leading challenger Brian Poindexter 44 percent to 43 percent, within the poll's 3.5-point margin of error. President Trump told Miller in a Monday phone call that his re-election prospects were poor, the congressman told the Wall Street Journal, while declining to issue a public statement of support. "I'm going to let the families figure that out," Trump told reporters.

The seat could help decide which party controls the House in November, and Democrats have signaled they will pour resources into the district after Miller's refusal to step aside. Unless he reverses course before Wednesday, Ohio Republicans will enter the general election with a nominee facing domestic abuse allegations and no criminal charges.

A Family Dispute Becomes a National Liability

Miller, a former White House aide under Trump, denied in a roughly 20-minute livestream on X that he abused his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, or their toddler daughter. He called the allegations false and politically motivated, pointing to Child Protective Services inquiries that he said closed as unsubstantiated and to a sworn May deposition from a court-appointed parenting coordinator who said she was not convinced he had harmed either.

Emily Moreno has alleged Miller scalded her with hot water, held a gun to her head and fractured their daughter's collarbone. Miller described the water incident as "horseplay" and called the firearm allegation "absolutely outrageous." No criminal charges have been filed, and the dispute remains part of ongoing custody litigation. Miller said a court granted him a domestic violence protection order after an ex parte hearing, and he has also faced a lawsuit from former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham over a confidential settlement agreement.

The intraparty conflict has split Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the claims "allegation" and deferred to the Ethics Committee, while Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina said the allegations were "horrific" and "must be investigated." A GOP source told Politico that Republicans were "burying their heads in the sand," warning the controversy would be an easy target for Democrats. Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio said he hopes Miller wins re-election, while Florida's Anna Paulina Luna said she has "only ever found him to be incredibly kind and honorable."

What the Polls Show

The most recent public survey, conducted in June, found the race effectively tied, with Miller at 44 percent and Poindexter at 43 percent in a district Trump carried by double digits in 2024. Miller told the Journal he pushed back on Trump's warning with his own internal poll showing him winning by 9 points with "our message out there."

Democrats, including the Democratic Women's Caucus, have called on the House Ethics Committee to open an investigation, and challenger Poindexter said that if the allegations prove true, "Max Miller should be in jail." The Ohio Democratic Party has pointed to the race as a potential pickup opportunity as Miller faces increased scrutiny.

The stakes extend beyond a single seat. Ohio also hosts competitive races for governor and the Senate, and some Republicans have privately expressed frustration that Trump, Johnson and the party's campaign committees have not done more to address the controversy, given the risk that the allegations could depress GOP turnout across the state. Trump helped launch Miller's political career, encouraging his former aide to challenge Representative Anthony Gonzalez after that Ohio Republican voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

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