Ohio Republican Facing Abuse Allegations Slams Home State Senate Candidate

As Ohio’s Senate race emerges as a critical battleground, Republican Senator Jon Husted faced attacks from GOP Representative Max Miller on the campaign trail, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. Husted is facing a competitive reelection challenge from former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, in the Ohio Senate race. Brown has built a narrow but consistent lead in recent polls, suggesting the race will likely come down to the wire on November 3.

Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances of flipping the seat despite Ohio’s conservative drift over the past decade. It is one of the most closely watched races that could determine which party controls the U.S.

Senate. Meanwhile, Miller is also facing a closely contested race in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, comprised of suburban areas near Cleveland and northeastern Ohio. He has faced allegations of abuse against his ex-wife, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

Husted has called on Miller to resign from office and end his reelection campaign over the accusations. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Miller has been critical of Husted during campaign stops, including calling him “as smart as a box of rocks” and “as entertaining as a two-by-four.” He also said his own “chances of winning are much better than his,” according to the report.

Newsweek reached out to the Husted and Miller campaigns for comment via email. Jon Husted vs. Sherrod Brown: What Latest Polls Show Recent polls show Husted trailing Brown by a very narrow margin in the Ohio Senate race.

The race is expected to be close. The Cook Political Report classifies it as a pure toss-up that could determine which party controls the Senate. Brown led by 3 points in the latest survey from The New York Times and Siena University, with 49 percent saying they planned to vote for him compared to 46 percent supporting Husted.

The poll surveyed 616 likely voters from September 22 to October 1 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. A Suffolk University poll also gave Brown a 3-point lead, 47 percent to 44 percent.

It surveyed 500 likely voters from September 23 to 27, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. Brown had a narrower lead in the latest InsiderAdvantage survey, which showed him up by a single point, 44 percent to 43 percent.

It polled 1,200 likely voters from September 28 to 29, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.83 percentage points. What Is the Controversy Surrounding Max Miller?

Husted has urged Miller to “step aside as a candidate and resign from Congress to focus on what is in the best interest of his daughter,” amid allegations raised by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio’s other Republican senator, Bernie Moreno. “Anyone who commits domestic violence is not fit to serve in Congress. The House Ethics Committee should thoroughly investigate any credible allegations, and any member found to have committed domestic violence should resign from Congress immediately,” Husted wrote in a post on X on August 6.

Moreno alleged that Miller threatened her with a firearm and physically assaulted her, according to court filings and police interviews previously reported by multiple outlets. The New York Times reported that Moreno alleged Miller threw hot water from a skillet at her, held a gun to her head, pushed her against a wall and fractured their child’s collarbone. Miller has denied all abuse allegations.

“The facts speak for themselves: the court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child. If there were credible evidence supporting these outrageous accusations, that simply would not be the case. Congressman Miller will continue to vigorously defend his reputation against false and reckless allegations designed to inflame public opinion rather than reflect reality.

This narrative has gone on long enough,” a spokesperson previously told Newsweek. Max Miller's Chances of Winning Reelection Miller is also facing a competitive reelection campaign against Brian Poindexter. The Cook Political Report considers the race a toss-up, and an August poll showed Poindexter with an advantage.

The Tavern Research survey showed him up 8 points, 54 percent to 46 percent. It surveyed 635 likely voters on August 4, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.

On prediction markets, Democrats were favored to win both the Ohio Senate race and OH-07 congressional race as of Tuesday afternoon. On both Kalshi and Polymarket, Brown had a 62 percent chance of beating Husted, while Poindexter had an 81 percent chance of beating Miller. Prediction markets let traders buy and sell contracts tied to political outcomes and current events, aggregating real-money wagers into probability estimates.

Prices fluctuate as traders react to polling, fundraising, candidate developments and broader political trends. They measure trader sentiment at a given moment but do not always predict the future accurately. Why the Ohio Senate Race Matters for the Midterms The Ohio Senate race is one of a handful of toss-up races that could determine the Senate's balance of power after the midterms.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority that is seen as increasingly at risk in November. Democrats must flip four seats to win a majority, as Vance would serve as the tiebreaker in a 50-50 Senate. Democrats need to flip two seats in states President Donald Trump won by double digits in the 2024 election to secure a majority, and Ohio is viewed as one of those states that could potentially flip back to Democrats this year.

If Brown flips the Ohio Senate seat, Republicans would face a tougher race to hold onto their majority. But if Husted wins, Democrats would need to make up for that loss in other double-digit Trump states that voted to the right of the Buckeye State in 2024. Ohio Senate Race: Latest Developments The Ohio Senate race remains competitive.

The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, announced plans to invest $14 million into the Ohio Senate race. Trump is spending time campaigning in Ohio in the final stretch of the midterms. He campaigned in Vandalia, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, over the weekend and is scheduled to return to the state for a rally in Youngstown on October 12.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Sam Wilson.