Rep. Max Miller not dropping out after domestic abuse allegations
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Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, attends a hearing at the Capitol in June 2026. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
Ohio GOP Rep. Max Miller said Sunday he will stay in his reelection race, using a livestream on X to deny allegations he abused his ex-wife and their young daughter.
- Shortly after his announcement, his ex-father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), denounced him as a "danger" to his daughter and unfit for office.
Why it matters: The extraordinary public split between two Trump-aligned Ohio Republicans comes days before the state's deadline to replace Miller on the ballot with a special election — and will only fuel the controversy attached to a seat Democrats are targeting.
What he's saying: "I'm not getting out of this race, and I'm winning in November," Miller said near the end of his livestream.
- Miller said no court or government agency has substantiated an abuse allegation against him and that he has never faced criminal charges.
- He said a child-welfare agency deemed two reports that he'd abused his daughter as unsubstantiated.
- He also denied assaulting his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, who had said Miller threw hot water from a skillet and sprayed her with a sink hose during a 2024 argument. He denied the water was scalding, said he did not intend to hurt her and called the incident "horseplay."
- He also posted a Dropbox link to what he said were records he referenced. He then removed the records before later reposting them.
The other side: Sen. Moreno issued a blistering denunciation shortly after the livestream, saying Miller's behavior had forced him to speak publicly after trying to protect his family's privacy.
- "He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter," Moreno wrote on X.
- "If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them," he added. "He should not serve in the House of Representatives."
Catch up quick: Emily Moreno, who divorced Miller last year, has accused him in court filings of hitting and threatening her during their marriage. Miller has sued her for defamation.
- She claimed their daughter collarbone broke and her shoulders were bruised while she was in Miller's custody. Miller denied causing the injury and argued that the bruising resembled marks from a seat belt, according to Mother Jones.
- Miller previously faced abuse allegations from ex-girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump White House press secretary. He also denied those claims and sued her for defamation before dropping the case as part of a 2023 settlement.
- Grisham sued Miller last month, arguing his recent public statements had violated the settlement's non-disparagement and confidentiality terms.
Between the lines: Miller faces Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, in Ohio's 7th congressional district, which is based outside of Cleveland.
- Voters in the district backed President Trump by 11 percentage points in 2024, 10 points in 2020 and 12 points in 2016.
What to watch: Wednesday is Ohio's deadline to trigger a special election to replace Miller on the ballot.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
