The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted Rep. Max Miller’s (R-Ohio) seat from “Likely Republican” to “Toss Up” on Monday, underscoring the growing political fallout from allegations of domestic violence against the incumbent.
Miller has faced mounting scrutiny in recent weeks over allegations from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, that he hurled hot water at her, pointed a gun at her head and broke their daughter’s collarbone. Miller has denied the allegations but is facing increasing calls to resign from Senate Republicans as the controversy threatens to imperil his reelection bid.
Miller has vowed to remain in his reelection race, even as polling shows him trailing his Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter. A co/efficient polling memo released last week, for instance, showed Poindexter leading Miller by 14 points as opposed to a previous survey that showed the margin between the candidates at 5 points.
The poll added that because of what voters have seen, read or heard about Miller, 48 percent are less likely to support the congressman, with Republicans 37 percent less likely to support him.
Miller is set to remain on the ballot in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, after a Monday deadline passed for county chairs in his district to nominate a replacement GOP candidate had he dropped out of the race.
“I have the utmost confidence that my constituents back home know me. This race is a home race,” Miller told CNN’s Jake Tapper last week.
“What you’re going to see here, Jake, is that I am going to be successful this November because my constituents know who I am, and they also know who my ex-father-in-law is, and they also know who my ex-wife is, and that’s why you’ve seen people aren’t running from me. My numbers in fundraising are strong. You know, Speaker Mike Johnson, everyone else, they’re standing behind me. No one has told me to get off the ballot, and that’s because they know I can win this seat,” he added.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Politico’s Dasha Burns last week that he would not tell Miller to drop out of the race. Miller is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of domestic violence and illegal drug use.
“I will tell Max what I tell everyone,” Johnson said. “These are serious allegations. I’m the father of two daughters who work on Capitol Hill. I mean, the allegations are serious. I think Max is taking them seriously, I think our colleagues are, but again, we have to allow this process to play out. It’s just begun.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Miller’s former father-in-law, has called for Miller to resign from Congress, and a growing chorus of the Ohio senator’s colleagues have also urged Miller to step down or drop his reelection bid.
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