Max Miller doubles down on staying in Ohio House race
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Rep. Max Miller, a Republican from Ohio on March 18, 2026. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said Tuesday that he won't drop his reelection bid despite facing allegations of domestic abuse and violence from his ex-wife and two other women.
Why it matters: Miller has until Wednesday to withdraw from the race, and President Trump has expressed concern that the embattled congressman could put a reliably Republican seat at risk in the midterms.
What they're saying: When asked about his plans on Tuesday by CNN's Jake Tapper, Miller said he wouldn't withdraw, and pointed to Trump as a reason why.
- "In 2016, when President Donald J. Trump faced the most extreme allegations in the world that hit him day after day after day, and people in the media, very much like yourself and others, said that he would have no shot at winning, that he should not be the president of the United States. But guess what? He stayed in, and he was resilient."
- "And what the American people can see, is ....somebody is fighting, who is resilient, and that is a quality that the American people cherish," Miller said.
The intrigue: Miller acknowledged that Trump called him Monday and asked if Miller could still win this November.
- "He said, 'I don't know if you're going to be able to pull this one out.'" Miller said. "I reminded him of the same resilience that he had when people told him that he was going to struggle in 2016, and he became the 45th president of the United States."
- "I have the utmost confidence that my constituents back home know me. This race is a home race. This isn't about what the national media thinks."
Zoom out: Miller also said "more than 50% of the people within this country who are divorced."
- Roughly one-third of Americans who've been married reported in 2023 that their first marriage ended in divorce, according to Pew Research Center data.
Miller also said that several allegations of abuse had previously been investigated by law enforcement and that those cases determined he was able to keep shared custody of his daughter.
- He added that men get a "really bad shake when it comes to family court, and it's not addressed enough in any way possible. ... I've received more support than ever from our community, from the people where I live."
- "The allegations are incredibly troubling. I agree they're troubling, but if they were true, I'd be in prison."
Go deeper: Miller calls for his own ethics probe following abuse allegations
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.
