COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican leaders are concerned that Congressman Max Miller will not be able to win his reelection bid this November, as domestic abuse allegations have engulfed his campaign.
Miller, a Republican representing Ohio's 7th U.S. Congressional District, can't escape accusations of domestic abuse against three women, but specifically ex-wife Emily Moreno. She is the daughter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, who has gone public with his call for Miller to resign.
"I don't think he meets the basic criteria of serving in Congress," Moreno told our Scripps News team on Wednesday. "I wish he cared about figuring out how to solve his family issues as much as he cares about his political career."
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The representative has consistently denied all allegations. Neither Miller nor his team responded to comment Wednesday. However, he went on our news partner CNN on Tuesday evening to defend himself.
"I’m going to continue to push," Miller said. "I am going to win this race."
On Tuesday, Miller made an unprecedented move — filing a congressional ethics complaint against himself. In a post on social media, he said he was doing this so that his colleagues could investigate him.
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"Clear my name from these horrific attacks on myself and family," Miller wrote. "I have absolutely nothing to hide."
Slight change of tune
Going back to Monday, I spoke with Medina County leader Jim Renacci, who was adamant that Miller shouldn’t step down. But just two days later, he has softened his stance — admitting that this has been a major distraction and turning off voters.
"In Ohio 7, it just seems to get worse and worse," Renacci said.
Multiple times, he avoided answering directly if Miller should drop out, but Renacci also didn’t say he should stay in the race.
"We've got to move forward, and we've got to make sure that we elect somebody in this district who's going to represent the district," he said.
During our first interview, he said people kept contacting him about running, and he would consider it if the situation warranted it.
Renacci, a former congressman, said in our Wednesday interview that he would step up if Miller drops out. He caveated this by saying, despite everything, Miller has done a lot of great things for the district.
"I probably am the best candidate," Renacci said, adding that because he doesn't care about politics, but cares for the district, he could be a great replacement.
President Donald Trump, according to Miller, called the representative and shared concerns about the race. He told the president that he was still going to win, he said.
Other current and past Ohio leaders have expressed concern about the situation, such as Gov. Mike DeWine, former Attorney General Dave Yost and a slew of state lawmakers.
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But Tuesday night, Miller got backing from U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson. In an interview with POLITICO, he said that he won’t call for him to step down.
"We don't take disciplinary action against members for allegations," Johnson said.
Renacci said that was clearly a strategy for the election.
"Let's face it, without the majority, Mike Johnson is probably gone from Congress... Of course he's got to fight for every candidate out there, and I see that's exactly what he's trying to do here," Renacci said.
Renacci added that he believes the Democrats will take control, so the question is by how much.
Miller didn't respond to comment on Renacci's interest in replacing him. Republicans are also eyeing state Rep. Mike Dovilla of Strongsville to potentially take over. Dovilla has not responded to requests for comment.
Democrats
Overall, Democrats in Ohio have been letting this situation play out.
While Ohio's GOP delegation has mainly been silent, except for Sen. Moreno's calls for Miller to resign, Democrats are starting to speak up. Last week, Democratic U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown of District 11 called for him to step down, and Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes of District 13 joined her.
"The right thing to do would be to remove Representative Miller, to remove himself from the public spotlight, handle this situation with his family privately and allow us to get back to the work of the American people," Sykes said in an interview.
The drama with Miller is distracting from the real concerns Americans are facing, like the affordability crisis, she said. She encouraged Republicans to hold him accountable — adding that Congressmen on each side of the aisle need to be better at not misusing their power.
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"They are sending a message that women don't matter, that the concerns of women don't matter, that victims don't matter," she added.
Deadlines
If Miller drops out this week, local party officials can replace him on the ballot. If he drops out after August 10, there will not be a Republican in his race against Democrat Brian Poindexter. There are also two write-in independents.
Follow Statehouse and Columbus bureau reporter Morgan Trau on X, Instagram and Facebook. Email her at Morgan.Trau@wews.com.
