Brian Poindexter Defeats Max Miller in Ohio's 7th District

Democrat Brian Poindexter has defeated Republican Rep. Max Miller in Ohio's 7th Congressional District, according to projections from NBC News and Decision Desk HQ reported by USA Today. The projections put Poindexter ahead with 54.1 percent of the vote to 45.9 percent for Miller, in a district President Donald Trump won by 11 points in 2024.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported the result under the headline "Democrat Brian Poindexter defeats Rep. Max Miller in 7th District" and called it one of the most closely watched races in the country. Poindexter, an ironworker who received significant backing from labor, celebrated his victory at his campaign headquarters in Parma.

What the AP count showed

The Associated Press had not called the race at the last check before this article was written. Its results feed listed Ohio's 7th District as too early to call, with Poindexter at 147,995 votes to 124,516 for Miller, 84.35 percent of precincts reporting and an estimated 84.45 percent of the vote counted. The win reported here rests on the NBC News and Decision Desk HQ projections and on the Beacon Journal's result report, not on an AP call.

How the district broke

The 7th District includes Medina and Ashland counties and parts of Cuyahoga and Wayne counties. Miller won the smaller counties, Medina, Ashland and Wayne, but Poindexter beat him in Cuyahoga County, the district's population center, and that split decided the race.

The seat was contested hard on both sides. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Poindexter to its Red to Blue program in August, a sign the party saw the district as within reach. The Cook Political Report rated the race a toss-up.

A district that was not supposed to flip

Miller won his 2024 race by a 15-point margin, and the district had been rated safely Republican before this cycle. The loss is a sharp reversal: a seat Miller held comfortably two years ago, in territory Trump carried by 11 points, has changed parties.

The campaign was also marked by turmoil around the incumbent. During the campaign, Republican Senators Roger Marshall of Kansas and Jon Husted of Ohio called on Miller to resign, according to the Daily Caller.

The allegations, stated as allegations

Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, alleged that he physically abused her during their marriage and custody dispute. Those are allegations. Miller denies the abuse allegations, and he was never charged. He chose to continue his campaign and put 1 million dollars of his own money into the race. A House committee opened an investigation into the allegations at Miller's own request, according to the Daily Caller.

Poindexter's win sends an ironworker backed by organized labor to Congress from a district that, on its recent voting record, was not expected to elect a Democrat this cycle.