The National Republican Congressional Committee is coordinating new television ad spending alongside Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) in a significant show of institutional support.
The move signals growing Republican anxiety about potentially losing Miller’s House seat as he battles serious personal allegations that have roiled his reelection campaign.
The NRCC, the political organization dedicated to electing Republicans to the House, is placing new ads with Miller’s campaign beginning Monday, September 7, according to Medium Buying, which tracks political ad buys.
Miller, a two-term GOP congressman, is running for reelection in Ohio’s 7th congressional district under an extraordinary cloud of controversy tied to allegations from his ex-wife.
His ex-wife has alleged that Miller held a gun to her head and broke their 2-year-old daughter’s collarbone, claims that have drawn intense scrutiny from within his own party.
Both of Ohio’s Republican senators have publicly called on Miller to end his reelection bid and resign from Congress entirely, a remarkable rebuke from members of his own party.
Miller disputes the allegations and has made clear he has no intention of withdrawing from the race, insisting he will continue his campaign through election day.
The NRCC’s decision to coordinate ad spending with Miller represents the clearest sign yet that national Republicans view the Ohio district as genuinely competitive and at risk of flipping.
Democratic nominee Brian Poindexter, Miller’s general election opponent, released his first campaign ad on Tuesday, centering it on his strong relationship with his daughters.
The Poindexter ad is widely seen as a thinly veiled reference to the serious domestic abuse allegations swirling around Miller, offering voters a pointed contrast heading into the fall campaign.
The race in Ohio’s 7th district has quickly become one of the more closely watched House contests of the current cycle given the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Republican incumbent.
Whether the NRCC’s financial intervention will be enough to stabilize Miller’s standing with voters remains an open question as the allegations continue to dominate local and national coverage.
