Max Miller Faces Deadline to Exit House Race: What It Means for Election

0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Representative Max Miller plans to continue seeking a third term amid domestic violence allegations, but the future of elections in Ohio could get a bit murkier if he reconsiders.

Miller, who rebuffed escalating calls on Tuesday to exit Ohio's 7th Congressional District race , said he intends to "finish" his reelection bid and predicted he'd win in November. But President Donald Trump told the fellow Republican and former senior adviser a day earlier that his candidacy "doesn't look good," according to a source familiar with the conversation.

Emily Moreno, Miller's former spouse and daughter of Republican Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, has accused the lawmaker of prior domestic abuse, including accusations that he threatened her with a firearm and physically assaulted her, which he has vehemently denied. Senator Moreno has called on his former son-in-law to step down, telling reporters that the ongoing custody battle for the couple's 2-year-old daughter has been the "seventh level of hell" for his family.

If a congressional candidate withdraws prior to 90 days of the election, or the close of business on Tuesday, that would require a special primary election to take place, Ohio Secretary of State officials confirmed Wednesday to Newsweek .

If Miller ultimately decides to withdraw later, the deadline to replace him is 86 days prior to the election, or August 10, officials said.

"The county party chairs in the district would choose a replacement candidate," Ohio Secretary of State spokesman Ben Kindel wrote in a message.

The most populous county party is also required to provide two-day notice in advance of that meeting, Kindel added, citing Ohio statutes.

Republican sources told WKYC that discussions to replace Miller on the ballot are intensifying, with multiple candidates being considered despite his vow to stay in the race. Some potential options include State Representative Mike Dovilla and former U.S. Representative Jim Renacci, among others, the station reported.

The push to potentially replace Miller comes as internal Republican polling shows him trailing his Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, by 5 percentage points, with 16 percent of voters still undecided, NOTUS reported on Sunday.

The district previously backed President Trump by 11 points in 2024. Poindexter, an ironworker endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, has said no individual facing allegations of abuse "belongs in the halls of power," according to WKYC.

Republicans have just a 31 percent chance of winning the race as the party tries to retain control of the House, according to Polymarket data on Wednesday. The party's odds previously peaked at 87 percent in February, data shows.

The Democratic Women's Caucus also called on Miller to resign in a statement released Wednesday.

"The abuse perpetuated by Representative Max Miller against his wife and daughter is horrifying and now warrants immediate action by Congress," the coalition said. "The bizarre and unnerving actions he and his legal team have taken in the last few days, including releasing private images of his two-year-old daughter, are beyond explanation."

Miller shared private images of his young daughter on social media on Sunday, including one his ex-wife's lawyer claims could be considered child sex abuse material. One of his attorneys later took responsibility for the error.

Miller previously insisted he has "absolutely nothing to hide" in a statement released early Tuesday.

"In light of all the renewed interest in my family affairs I am going to file my own paperwork for an ethics investigation into myself to clear my name from these horrific attacks on myself and family," Miller wrote on X. "I have absolutely nothing to hide. We will be providing the committee all necessary documents needed for a detail examination. The accusations continue to change, but my facts stay the same. I am looking forward to my colleagues reading everything for themselves."

The House Ethics Committee subsequently announced that an investigation into whether Miller may have engaged in "domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use" had been launched.

Miller then appeared on CNN later Tuesday and insisted he had committed no wrongdoing while adding that he has joint custody of his 2-year-old daughter.

"I am never going to give up," the embattled lawmaker said, adding that he expects to be reelected in November. "I will continue to finish this."

A message seeking comment from Miller's spokesperson, Abigail Angelos, was not returned Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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