The Ohio Republican, who has denied any wrongdoing, has pledged to stay in his race for a third term.
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MEDINA, Ohio — Accusations of domestic violence and physical abuse against Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) by his ex-wife have rattled Republican leaders as they fight to hold on to their threadbare House majority.
But days after Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Miller’s former father-in-law, publicly declared him unfit to serve, the scandal is barely registering back at home, where partisan loyalties remain strong as Miller, who denies any wrongdoing, seeks a third term.
“They can say all they want, but it’s not going to sway my vote,” Gina DePew said Tuesday as she left the Walmart Supercenter here.
The 60-year-old dental hygienist and self-described “Trumplican” said she did not care enough about the allegations against Miller to consider supporting a Democrat instead, because the party long ago lost her trust.
“I’m not perfect, and I’m not that great of a person all of the time, so I can’t judge him,” DePew said. “I’d have to vote for him, even if I can’t stand him.”
The Washington Post interviewed dozens of voters across Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, a conservative swath stretching south from the Cleveland suburbs.
Many were unfamiliar with the legal and political drama that is rapidly enveloping Miller, 37, who faces an ethics investigation and pressure to drop out of the race ahead of an Aug. 10 deadline to replace him on the ballot. That could change in the months to come as the court case continues to unfold, potentially fueling attack ads that would bring the situation to a larger audience.
Even among those who had heard about the accusations that Miller physically harmed his ex-wife and their 2-year-old daughter, however, Republicans were largely wary of wading into what they considered a family matter and reluctant to abandon Miller.
Some were dubious about claims made during the course of a breakup. Others argued they were less important than what Miller has done for his constituents, or did not matter in a political system full of reprehensible people.
Ellie Hartzler, 69, said she was disappointed by the allegations against Miller but thought it was important to keep his seat in Republican hands. She said she would probably separate his personal foibles from her political considerations, as she has done for President Donald Trump.
“I know there are things in his past that people aren’t happy with, and I’ve had to set it aside,” Hartzler said as she headed home from dinner in downtown Wooster. “If it comes to that, that’s where I would stand.”
Miller and Emily Moreno divorced in June 2025, after less than three years of marriage. Since then, she has charged in court filings that Miller threw hot water on her from a pan of eggs he had just cooked, once held a gun to her head and hurt their daughter, who suffered a fractured collarbone in February. Miller claims his ex-wife fabricated those allegations because she is mentally ill, which she denies.
While the abuse accusations have been public for months, their legal showdown continues to escalate. Moreno filed a new restraining order against Miller last week, alleging that he grabbed her attorney during a court hearing. Miller responded online Sunday with a lengthy live-streamed video where he said their relationship had been respectful until they became enmeshed in a custody battle and vowed to push ahead with his reelection bid.
The video prompted Bernie Moreno, who had largely avoided commenting on the situation, to finally speak out. He said Miller is “a danger” and should not serve in the House.
But colleagues have not rushed to join Moreno’s denunciation, easing the immediate squeeze on Miller. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has not urged Miller to withdraw from the race or resign his seat, calling the allegations “serious” but saying a congressional investigation should be allowed to play out.
Nor have most of the other 10 Republicans in the Ohio congressional delegation, including Sen. Jon Husted, who did not respond to questions from The Post or declined to comment. Rep. Jim Jordan, who serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that “it’s up to the voters.”
Trump has also said he would “let the families figure that out.” He told reporters Monday it was “a very sad thing,” but that Miller, who served as a White House aide during Trump’s first term, is “a very good person.”
In a CNN interview Tuesday, Miller said he had spoken by phone with Trump, who warned him it would be a “tough race” and he might not be able to “pull this one out.” Miller said he assured the president that he would be successful in November.
Privately, aides for House Republican leaders worry they will have to spend more than anticipated to defend Miller’s seat if he does not step down, given the unfavorable political environment for the GOP heading into the midterm elections. They say they are less concerned that it could flip, given the conservative lean of the district.
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Miller has not won overwhelmingly in the past, however. He defeated his Democratic opponent by nearly 11 percentage points in 2022. Two years later, he received 51 percent of the vote against a Democrat and a progressive independent.
This year, House Democrats put the seat on their list of targets as they try to regain a majority.
Miller faces Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker and member of the Brook Park City Council who’s been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) but is a relative unknown to the public. Poindexter said in a statement that, if the abuse allegations are true, “Max Miller should be in jail, not worried about retaining a seat in Congress.”
With a strong slate of statewide candidates and Trump’s popularity fading, Ohio Democrats are feeling optimistic again about their prospects in this increasingly red state.
Former governor Ted Strickland said that could extend even to Miller’s race, given that the accusations against him are not likely to dissipate soon and there is a prominent fellow Republican speaking out now in Bernie Moreno.
“That would be a pretty powerful attack ad,” Strickland said. “There’s an opportunity here, with the right kind of effort, to make that breakthrough.”
But Democratic voters in the district remain skeptical about their chances to defeat Miller. Several told The Post that the party would need to come up with a more compelling message than just bashing Trump and complaining about high prices to win over dissatisfied Republicans and independents in November.
“I have to have faith that my neighbors are aware and are not all cultists,” Dan Walker, 57, who runs a historic preservation company, said as he strolled through Medina’s public square with his family.
A few Republican-leaning voters told The Post they were so disturbed by the accusations against Miller that they were open to considering a Democrat instead.
Playing with her children at a park in Rocky River, a 38-year-old accountant, who declined to provide her name because she did not want to opine publicly on a sensitive situation, said she could accept having a representative with strong moral character whom she did not always agree with politically.
“A lot of times I will vote with my heart more than anything,” she said. “Do they seem like a good person?”
But far more were openly hostile to the Democratic Party, which they say has moved too far left on immigration and transgender rights while not taking fraud in public welfare programs seriously. Some conservative voters said they were inclined to abstain from the race instead.
Brandon Cook, a 51-year-old CT scan technologist who identifies as a libertarian, said Miller was perhaps an example of why people should wait until they are older and more mature before entering politics.
“I’ve lost my temper, and I get that, but you don’t want that from the people you’re granting power to,” Cook said as he loaded groceries into his car outside the Walmart Supercenter. “How does he help us when he can’t get his own house in order?”
Relaxing in the shade in downtown Wooster, 79-year-old retired cook Steve Messner was unsure how he would vote in November.
The “die-hard Republican” said Miller should drop out of the race. Though innocent until proved guilty in court, Messner said Miller had lost credibility with voters.
“He’s finished with me, regardless of the outcome,” Messner said.
The phone call with Trump had been a “tipping point” — a signal that the allegations against Miller should be taken seriously.
“If it’s got the president’s attention, it’s gone about as high as it’s going to go,” Messner said. “What else could there be — a call from the pope?”
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Liz Goodwin and Isaac Arnsdorf in Washington contributed to this report.
