Democrat Brian Poindexter Wins Ohio House Seat After Abuse Allegations Against Incumbent Max Miller
Brian Poindexter defeated Republican Rep. Max Miller in Ohio’s 2024 congressional race, a contest shaped by domestic-abuse accusations made by Miller’s ex-wife.
Democrat Brian Poindexter, an ironworker and former city council member from Brook Park, won Ohio’s 2024 congressional race, unseating Republican Rep. Max Miller, according to NBC News projections. The district, which President Donald Trump would have carried by 11 points in 2024, flipped as Democrats poured significant resources into the contest.
Miller, a former White House aide during President Trump’s first term, faced intense scrutiny after his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, alleged repeated domestic abuse, including threats with a firearm and physical violence. Miller denied the accusations and released documents and audio recordings in his defense, while a social-media livestream featured him questioning the credibility of the claims.
"Ask yourself: If I had assaulted her, would she have offered to cook me dinner six days later? Would she have invited me to spend an afternoon at the playground with her and our daughter? Would she have written that we were in a friendlier place?"
Moreno’s spokesperson described Miller’s video as “unhinged and humiliating” and asserted that the allegations were truthful. Senator Bernie Moreno, Emily’s father, publicly expressed concern for his family’s safety and said Miller’s behavior made it impossible for him to remain silent.
Despite calls from some Republicans for Miller to resign, he remained on the ballot and was defeated. Poindexter’s campaign emphasized his union background and a populist platform that includes targeted tariffs to protect jobs, universal health-care goals, and protection of union rights. He also secured endorsements from progressive figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ro Khanna.
Republican opponents highlighted Poindexter’s past legal issues, noting a 1999 assault charge reduced to a misdemeanor and misdemeanor disorderly-conduct citations from the early 2000s. Poindexter told NBC News that he turned his life around after becoming a father at 22.