RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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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, but the page says "The owner of this link has deleted or disabled this link."
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.
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