Embattled Rep Max Miller Loses To Democrat Challenger Amid Domestic Violence Allegations

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia Commons

Republican Ohio Rep. Max Miller lost to his Democratic challenger Tuesday after his campaign was overshadowed by his ex-wife’s domestic violence allegations and his public feud with his ex-father-in-law.

Democratic Ohio congressional nominee Brian Poindexter defeated Miller by a 54.1% to 45.9% margin in Ohio’s seventh district, where President Donald Trump won by 11 points during the 2024 election, NBC News and Decision Desk reported. Miller remained in the race after his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, alleged that he physically abused her, and he engaged in a public spat with his ex-father-in-law, Republican Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno.

Miller won his last race in 2024 by a 15-point margin, 51.1% to 36.1%, indicating that he lost in what is considered a safely red district.

Moreno accused Miller of throwing hot water from a hot pan in June 2024 and then spraying her with hot water from a sink hose while she laid in a fetal position on the floor, according to court records. She alleged that Miller fractured their two-year-old daughter’s collarbone with “a bruise that accompanies the injury that appears to be in a handprint and appears to have been inflicted.”

Moreno alleged that when she stayed with Miller, her daughter said, “Daddy kill you,” according to CBS News. She claimed that Miller held a gun to her head in March 2025 and abused her in front of their daughter.

A court-appointed parental coordinator, Deborah Koricke, told the court in May that she was not convinced that Miller abused his then-wife and daughter, according to court records. He was never charged with a crime.

Moreno accused her ex-husband of physically grabbing one of her attorneys, Andrew Zashin, and using a profane slur against Zashin’s fiancée in May.

Miller alleged that Moreno fabricated these allegations because she suffers from bipolar disorder.

Miller and Moreno married on Aug. 22, 2022, and divorced in August 2024. They filed restraining orders against each other after Moreno accused her ex-husband of physically grabbing one of her attorneys, Andrew Zashin, during a court hearing and using a profane slur against his fiancée as they left a separate court hearing in May.

Moreno’s father, Republican Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, said Tuesday that he picked up his granddaughter from Miller at the police station Sunday and that Miller would not hand over the child’s favorite stuffed bunny. He called on his ex-son-in-law to resign from office and drop his reelection bid.

Republican Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Jon Husted of Ohio called on Miller to resign. Trump called Miller in August and told him “things [were not] looking good” regarding his reelection bid, Axios reported.

Miller did not leave the race in time for the Ohio Republican Party to nominate a different candidate, meaning if he had dropped out, Poindexter would have run uncontested.

The committee opened an investigation into the allegations at Miller’s own behest, as he claimed he had “absolutely nothing to hide.”

Miller falsely said in a campaign ad that he was cleared of all wrongdoing. Poindexter ran ads centering around the allegations, including one featuring Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree. The sheriff stated that court documents alleged that Miller “beat” Moreno and “held a gun to her head.”

“Thirty-four years in law enforcement tells me Max Miller does not belong in power,” Fatheree said.

Miller’s legal team sent cease-and-desist letters to Cleveland-area television stations, calling the ad false, malicious and defamatory. The stations ran the ad anyways.