Ohio Rep. Max Miller Is Defying His Own Party’s Calls to Exit
Ohio Rep. Max Miller says he will not withdraw from his reelection race, even as abuse allegations against him draw calls to step aside from within his own party. Sen. Bernie Moreno, Miller’s former father-in-law, is among those pressing Miller to exit before Ohio’s ballot replacement deadline, which falls next week.
The deadline is the critical pressure point. Under Ohio election law, parties can replace a candidate on the general election ballot only within a set window after a primary. Once that window closes, Miller’s name stays on the ballot regardless of what party leadership wants.
“Miller should step aside before next week’s ballot deadline.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, as reported by NPR, August 3, 2026
Miller’s refusal puts Ohio Republicans in a bind. If he stays in the race past the replacement deadline and the allegations continue to generate news, the party loses the ability to field a different candidate in what would otherwise be a winnable seat. If Miller steps aside before the deadline, the Ohio GOP central committee would select his replacement.
Voters in Miller’s district deserve a candidate who can represent them without a contested record that the party’s own leaders are flagging publicly. The question now is whether Ohio GOP leadership will apply enough pressure in the next several days to move Miller before the window closes.
Party accountability in primary and post-primary candidate decisions almost always happens out of public view. Constituent pressure on state party leadership is one of the few levers that can make internal deliberations visible and speed them up.
What You Can Do Now
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Contact the Ohio Republican Party directly at (614) 228-2481. Tell party chair Alex Triantafilou that voters expect the party to enforce accountability before the ballot deadline passes. If Miller does not step aside, ask what process the party will follow to evaluate the situation.
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Call your U.S. House representative at (202) 225-3121 and ask them to publicly state whether a colleague under these circumstances should remain on a general election ballot. On-the-record statements from colleagues create real pressure.
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Contact Sen. Bernie Moreno’s Ohio office at (202) 224-3353. Moreno has already called for Miller to step aside. Constituent calls supporting that position strengthen his ability to keep up pressure before the deadline.
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Track Ohio’s ballot certification timeline through the Ohio Secretary of State’s elections division. Knowing the exact statutory deadline lets you hold party officials to a specific date in any communication.
Update, August 5, 2026: The House Ethics Committee opened a formal investigation into Rep. Max Miller on August 5, covering allegations of domestic violence and drug use. Miller had requested the probe himself on August 4, saying he wanted the panel to clear his name.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has set August 10 as the deadline to finalize general election ballot candidates, leaving Miller less than a week to reverse his stated plan to stay in the race. Sen. Bernie Moreno, Miller’s former father-in-law and one of the few Republicans in Congress publicly calling for Miller’s resignation, told reporters his daughter “fears what this guy is capable of.”
Cheyenne Hunt, who leads the organization Reckoning Action, told NPR the Ethics Committee process has “no meaningful transparency” and that complaints routinely spend “months, sometimes years behind closed doors.” The committee’s options include recommending expulsion or censure, or referring the matter to the Department of Justice or state law enforcement.
Sources
NPR: Ohio Rep. Max Miller Refuses Calls to Step Aside Before Ballot Deadline
Ohio Secretary of State: Candidate and Election Filing Requirements
Brennan Center: How States Handle Candidate Replacement After Primary