Ohio GOP's Max Miller remains on ballot after deadline passes

Max Miller will stay on the ballot in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District after the deadline to replace him passed, closing off the Ohio GOP’s last easy way to swap out a candidate under fire. The move leaves Republicans locked into a reelection fight around allegations from Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, while the November race heads into a more competitive stretch.

Under Ohio law, Miller could have withdrawn by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, the 90th day before the Nov. 3 general election, but he did not. ABC News reported that Miller has denied the domestic abuse allegations, even as pressure mounted for party leaders to find a way to replace him before the ballot window shut.

The allegations have become the central political liability in the district. The Hill reported that Moreno accused Miller of hurling hot water at her and pointing a gun at her, claims that have followed him as he has resisted calls to abandon his third-term bid. With the replacement deadline gone, Ohio Republicans no longer have a procedural escape route that would let them reset the race without Miller on the ticket.

The political fallout was visible in the race rating. On Monday, Cook Political Report moved Miller’s seat from Likely Republican to Toss Up, a shift that signaled how quickly the district’s outlook had changed. Miller ran uncontested in the May 5 GOP primary, leaving him as the party’s nominee before the allegations became a full-blown electoral problem.

Democrats are trying to take advantage of that opening. Brian Poindexter, the Democratic nominee, is an ironworker and has emerged as the challenger in a district that had been considered safely Republican only months ago. NPR noted that voters in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District were reacting to calls for Miller to step aside, but the closed ballot calendar means those frustrations now play out inside a fixed matchup.

Money has added another layer of pressure. Newsweek reported on Aug. 6 that a poll showed Miller down double digits as he loaned his campaign $1 million, underscoring how much ground he has to make up before November. With the ballot set and the field locked, Ohio Republicans now have to decide whether to defend Miller through the finish or absorb the damage in a district that has already slipped out of the safe category.