The Strongsville GOP announced that a rally with U.S. Rep. Max Miller scheduled for Aug. 10 has been canceled due to alleged threats.
Strongsville GOP Chair Shannon Burns announced the cancelation in an email issued Friday. The Pass the SAVE America Act Rally with Miller and Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna was scheduled to take place at The Barn at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick Monday evening.
"After consultation with law enforcement and the venue, the number and nature of the threats received have made the event untenable," Burns wrote in Friday's email. "We cannot responsibly expose our guests, attendees, volunteers, venue staff, or law enforcement officers to an unacceptable safety risk."
Ideastream Public Media has reached out to the rally organizers, the city of Brunswick, Brunswick police and Mapleside Farms for comment on the alleged threats.
Miller, the Republican representative for Ohio’s 7th District, is facing accusations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife, including allegations of violence toward their 2-year-old daughter.
Both Republican U.S. senators from Ohio have called on Miller to drop out of the race. Sen. Bernie Moreno, who is Miller's ex-father-in-law, said Miller is unfit to serve. Sen. Jon Husted also called for Miller to drop out this week.
Miller has been favored to win his reelection in part because of the historically conservative Medina and Wayne counties in the recently redrawn District 7, which also includes a portion of Cuyahoga County's suburbs.
Visitors at the Medina County Fair voiced concerns over Miller's campaign.
"I support Max Miller, but I believe he should drop out and listen to what Husted says," said Braeden Huth, a Republican from Medina. "And Bernie (Moreno)'s a smart man. If Bernie says it’s true, then it’s probably true.”
Huth said a replacement Republican can win the election, but probably not Miller.
“Due to the allegations, I don’t think he’ll win the race," Huth said. "The publicity is bad.”
That's exactly why Democrat Denice Cipiti hopes Miller remains in the race.
“I hope he doesn’t drop out," Cipiti said while visiting a park in Strongsville, which is in District 7. “Because I think he’s going to lose. For all of his personal stuff, yeah, he's a jerk, he's a womanizer and I don't think he has good qualities. I don't like Moreno either, but I don't think he would have said it unless it was true.”
Local political analyst Tom Sutton said he does not expect Miller to drop out of the race, noting Miller's request for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee into the abuse claims.
“That probe is going to take several weeks," Sutton said. "I think he is banking on the possibility that the ethics committee will come out with something that is less than a censure."
However, Sutton noted he does think the allegations against Miller may facilitate a win for his challenger, Democrat Brian Poindexter.
"These are voters that, they're not MAGA voters necessarily, and so they're Conservative Republicans… It's not that they're not going to vote, but they may not vote in this race," Sutton said. "It's also not that they are going to go for Brian Poindexter, the Democrat. They're simply not going to vote and there's going to be that gap, I think, that's going to emerge and it may be enough of a gap that Poindexter might wind up winning the seat.”
Ideastream has reached out to the Poindexter campaign for comment.
Should Miller decide to suspend his campaign, the question becomes which Republican would replace him on the ballot.
Huth suggested former Rep. Jim Renacci, who supported Miller on social media, but said he would consider running if Miller drops out of the race.
"My answer has been simple: I would consider it if asked," Renacci wrote in a statement on social media Friday. "I am not seeking this seat. My response comes from something I have always believed: if I am in a position to help, I will consider helping. I have said repeatedly that this is Max Miller’s nomination. He earned the right in the Republican primary to represent the party in November. The decision whether to continue is ultimately his to make."
Miller has until Monday to drop out of the race while giving the Republican party a chance to replace him on the November ballot. He disputed the abuse allegations and said he plans to continue his campaign in a social media video posted last Sunday.
