Ohio GOP locked out of replacing Rep. Max Miller after withdrawal deadline passes
Ohio Republicans appear locked out of replacing Rep. Max Miller on the November ballot after the two-term incumbent let a Saturday withdrawal deadline pass, keeping in place a candidate who loaned his campaign $1 million the prior day and faces a House Ethics Committee investigation into abuse allegations he denies. Miller's campaign spokesperson, Abigail Angelos, told The New York Times on Saturday he would stay in the race, closing the party's apparent final path to certifying a replacement before a Monday deadline.
Key takeaways
- Ohio Republicans appear unable to replace Rep. Max Miller on the November ballot because he let a Saturday withdrawal deadline pass, keeping him as the certified candidate.
- Miller loaned his campaign $1 million the day before the deadline and faces a House Ethics Committee investigation into abuse and illegal drug use allegations, which he denies.
- Withdrawing by Saturday was required to give the two-day notice needed for a Republican committee to certify a replacement by the Monday 4 p.m. ET deadline, and Ohio law required Miller's cooperation.
- Miller faces Democrat Brian Poindexter in November in Ohio's 7th District, which Trump carried by about 11 points in 2024.
- Sen. Bernie Moreno, Miller's former father-in-law, has called on Miller to leave Congress, saying he is unfit to serve and endangers his daughter and granddaughter.
Ohio Republicans appear locked out of replacing Rep. Max Miller on the November ballot after the two-term incumbent let a Saturday withdrawal deadline pass, keeping in place a candidate who loaned his campaign $1 million the prior day and faces a House Ethics Committee investigation into abuse allegations he denies. Miller's campaign spokesperson, Abigail Angelos, told The New York Times on Saturday he would stay in the race, closing the party's apparent final path to certifying a replacement before a Monday deadline.
Deadline mechanics
Miller would have needed to formally withdraw by Saturday to allow the required two-day notice before a Republican committee meeting to certify a replacement by Monday at 4 p.m. ET. He did not file that withdrawal. Early Sunday, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections still listed him as an active candidate. Miller did not return Axios' Saturday evening request for comment.
Miller also passed an Aug. 5 threshold that could have triggered a separate special-election replacement process. That left the Saturday-into-Monday committee path as the party's last option, and Ohio law required his cooperation. He had announced the week prior in a video that he would not drop out.
Allegations and legal record
Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), has alleged domestic abuse. Miller denies the allegations and has sued her for defamation. His former girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary, also accused him of abuse. Miller sued Grisham, then dropped the suit under a 2023 settlement. Grisham sued him last month, alleging he violated the settlement's nondisparagement terms.
The House Ethics Committee said Tuesday it was investigating whether Miller "may have engaged in domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use." Miller had previously requested an investigation into himself, but the committee did not say his request triggered the review.
Last week's document release repeatedly named Miller's young daughter and disclosed his ex-wife's home address. His attorney later apologized for failing to remove a sensitive image from the package. Sen. Moreno has called on Miller to leave Congress, saying he endangers his daughter and granddaughter and is unfit to serve.
District stakes
Miller faces Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker, in November. Trump carried Ohio's 7th District by about 11 points in 2024, 10 points in 2020 and 12 points in 2016. The formal Monday certification deadline remains on the calendar, but Republicans have no apparent mechanism to place a replacement on the ballot without a timely Miller withdrawal on record.