Rep. Max Miller’s Democratic opponent doesn’t want to make his campaign about Miller, even as attention grows on the abuse allegations against the Ohio congressman.
“I’m not necessarily running against Max Miller,” ironworker Brian Poindexter said in a Wednesday phone interview. “I’m running for working families.”
“Are there more eyes on our campaign because of Max Miller? Sure,” he said. “But we’re welcoming people in. Republicans, Democrats, independents are all uniting around the fact that working families are just not making it, and they want to see real change.”
Miller is facing claims of abuse from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno. Miller has denied any wrongdoing, including accusations that he poured hot water on Emily Moreno and held a gun to her head.
While it might be obvious for a challenger to amplify those claims, which have generated a media firestorm around Miller and his flagging campaign, Poindexter said he isn’t interested in doing so.
He insists that the allegations have not “changed the thing that we’re doing — we’re continuing to build bridges with people who have abandoned the Democratic Party.”
“Our message stays the same,” he said. “Obviously the allegations against Max Miller are very credible and very outrageous. … If they prove to be true, he should be in jail.”
But rather than continue to hammer Miller over the claims, Poindexter hit the congressman for rarely showing up to community events. Miller’s constituents, he said, “are happy to see somebody actually putting in the work.”
A spokesperson for Miller did not respond to a request for comment.
Pressed whether Miller should resign or drop out of the race absent a clear verdict from the courts or House Ethics Committee, which opened an investigation into Miller on Tuesday, Poindexter said he would not “presume to say what he should do or shouldn’t do.”
“What I’m just going to do is continue to run for the hardworking people of District 7. They need somebody who’s willing to fight for them, and I’m willing to fight to make sure that their lives are improved.”
The White House is leaning on Miller to withdraw his reelection bid, according to four people granted anonymity to discuss the private conversations. Miller confirmed Tuesday on CNN that President Donald Trump called him this week to say he was facing a “tough race.”
Miller would have to withdraw by the end of the week to allow for party officials to put a new name on the ballot.
Asked whether he’d like to see Miller stay in the race so that he could face a weakened candidate — as opposed to whomever GOP party brass would seek to elevate — Poindexter said, “I didn’t get into this race for an easy path.”
“I got into this race to fight for working people, and I don’t care who is on the ballot,” he said, “whether it’s Max Miller or anybody else.”
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