Controversial Ohio Rep. Max Miller is staying in his re-election race.
The deadline for Miller to drop out while giving the Republican party a chance to replace him on the November ballot passed Monday afternoon.
Miller, the Republican representative for Ohio’s 7th District, is facing accusations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife, including allegations of violence toward their 2-year-old daughter. Miller has denied the allegations.
"Congressman Miller has represented Ohio’s 7th District for two successful terms, and he will fight for the opportunity to continue representing them in the next Congress,” Miller’s chief of staff Abigail Angelos said in a statement. “He is invested in every way possible and intends to move forward with the work he started back in 2023."
While the deadline passed Monday, the opportunity to replace Miller really passed over the weekend. According to Ohio law, the county party chairs would have needed to meet and provide a two-day notice of a meeting during which a replacement candidate could have been determined.
The Republican parties in Cuyahoga, Medina, Wayne, Holmes, Ashland and Stark counties did not yet respond to requests for comment.
Miller is facing Democratic candidate Brian Poindexter for the congressional seat in the November election.
“This is a huge early Christmas gift to Democrats,” said University of Akron political analyst David Cohen. “The stories of the alleged abuse ... are so disturbing that maybe it doesn't turn off extremely conservative voters so much that they vote for the Democrat, but it may turn them off so that they don't actually vote in this race.”
Poindexter is an iron union worker and a councilmember in Brook Park.
“As I've said before, if the accusations against Max Miller are proven true, he should be in prison, not in Congress. It's unfortunate that Miller has chosen to keep putting his ex-wife and her family through this nightmare in the public spotlight,” Poindexter said in a statement.
Cohen noted the close relationship Miller has with President Donald Trump and said there are similarities in Trump running and winning elections while facing accusations of sexual assault.
“In the past, allegations like this would have ended a candidacy almost immediately and we're definitely living in a different era,” Cohen said. “I think he believes he can beat these allegations just like Trump did and still get reelected.”
Miller was scheduled to appear at a campaign rally in Brunswick Monday evening, but the event was canceled.
