Ohio Republicans Unable to Replace Miller on Ballot as Withdrawal Deadline Passes

Ohio Republicans have exhausted their options to remove Rep. Max Miller from the November ballot after Saturday’s deadline for a voluntary withdrawal passed without action. Under Ohio election law, any replacement candidate would have required approval and ballot certification by Monday at 4 p.m., a timeline that Miller’s continued candidacy now forecloses entirely.

Miller has maintained his re-election campaign despite intensifying pressure from GOP colleagues to abandon his bid. The congressman faces domestic-abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, allegations he has consistently denied and characterized as unsubstantiated by courts or law enforcement.

The dispute escalated last week when Sen. Moreno publicly broke his silence on the family conflict, calling Miller’s behavior “erratic and dangerous” and urging his resignation from the House. The senator had previously avoided public comment on the matter, which has been the subject of a contentious divorce proceeding between Miller and Moreno’s daughter.

Miller faces Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker, in the general election. The 7th District strongly favors Republicans, with President Donald Trump winning the seat by approximately 11 points in 2024, though the controversy surrounding Miller now provides Democrats a competitive opportunity in what would typically be a safe GOP district.