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House Republicans are confronting an unwelcome political headache as a string of abuse or harassment allegations involving several GOP lawmakers threatens to complicate the party’s midterm message just months before the November elections.
The domestic abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), coupled with the scrutiny surrounding Reps. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) and Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), have dominated headlines and handed Democrats fresh political ammunition at a critical point in the campaign. The developments have also served as an unwelcome distraction for GOP leaders, who have sought to keep voters focused on their message that Republicans are best equipped to tackle inflation, the rising cost of living and other kitchen-table concerns.
The timing is particularly challenging for Republicans as they work to defend their narrow House majority. Although the controversies involve individual lawmakers, the steady stream of negative headlines could have a cumulative effect, forcing vulnerable incumbents to answer for events far outside their own districts.
“Vulnerable House Republicans mistakenly think that no matter how awful their behavior is, they are untouchable. Voters in these districts are pissed over higher costs, Republicans’ broken promises, and are ready to reject these scandal-plagued members, who’ve made voters’ lives worse. Every single vulnerable Republican who has coddled and stood by these creeps should be ashamed of themselves, are unfit to serve, and will lose their job in November,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Viet Shelton told The Hill in a statement.
Douglas Heye, a GOP strategist, said that “Miller and Mills make it harder for Republicans to talk about the issues they want to focus on.”
“The faster they are gone, the better for everyone,” Heye said, arguing that both GOP lawmakers should drop their reelection bids.
Miller, in particular, has been in the hot seat over allegations of domestic abuse leveled by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, with whom he’s been locked in a bitter custody battle. She says that he hurled hot water at her, pointed a gun at her head and may have broken their daughter’s collarbone. The House Ethics Committee is reviewing domestic violence and illegal drug use allegations against him.
Miller has vehemently denied all the claims and remained defiant, vowing to stay in his race while conducting a series of interviews and posting frequent rebuttals online.
Emily Moreno’s father, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), has called for Miller to resign from Congress, and a growing chorus of Moreno’s Senate colleagues are questioning Miller’s decision to stay in the race.
Sen. Bernie Moreno also accused Miller of refusing to return a stuffed blue bunny belonging to Miller’s daughter, a claim that Miller denied but that seemed to strike a chord with many online.
“What kind of person would treat their daughter this way? This guy is clearly a degenerate sociopath,” Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) wrote on the social platform X in response.
“Max should step aside and seek help. Staying in this race makes it far more likely we lose this seat and hand Democrats a majority to impeach President Trump,” Sheehy added.
Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who is competing in one of the toughest Senate races in the country in November, broke his silence on the issue Wednesday to call for Miller to resign and drop out of his race for reelection.
And Donovan O’Neil, state director at Americans for Prosperity-Ohio, wrote on X that Miller is “unfit for office,” arguing that Republicans should call him out and “exorcise our own demons from the GOP.”
Democrats, meanwhile, have wasted no time seizing on the allegations to pressure other Republicans running in tight seats. JoAnna Mendoza, who’s running to represent Arizona’s “toss-up” 6th Congressional District, was quick to target Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), who she is facing off against in November.
“So… are you going to return the $5,000 you took from Max Miller’s PAC, @JuanCiscomani? Or is he another one of your buddies? If you actually cared about the safety of women and girls, you would speak out about this. But of course, crickets,” she wrote on X.
Miller, however, isn’t the only Republican giving some of his colleagues campaign jitters.
Mills, who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of dating violence and campaign finance law violations, is also running for reelection in his Florida district.
Notably, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.) endorsed GOP candidate Ryan Elijah over Mills in a joint statement Wednesday.
Luna told Politico that Mills “needs to not be seeking reelection.”
A state judge in October granted an ex-girlfriend of Mills a restraining order after she said he harassed her and threatened to release explicit images of her. Another woman Mills was dating simultaneously initially told police he assaulted her in February 2025 before recanting.
Mills has previously faced calls to resign or be expelled. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
But it’s not just Republicans currently on the ballot who are fueling anxiety within the party. Lawmakers who have already resigned or withdrawn their reelection bids amid scandal have also left a lasting mark on the GOP, forcing Republicans to contend with the political fallout.
Edwards dropped his reelection bid earlier this week after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be formally censured following an investigation that found he violated the “spirit” of the chamber’s policies on sexual harassment of staff.
Edwards’ seat is rated as “lean Republican” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), chair of the Republican Women’s Caucus, called for the House to still follow through with censuring Edwards despite his decision to drop out.
“A resignation announcement does not erase misconduct or absolve a Member of accountability. No one should be permitted to run out the clock and avoid the consequences of their actions,” she said.
And former Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who admitted to having an affair with a staffer who died after setting herself on fire, also made headlines earlier this year. He exited Congress in April.
The Hill has reached out to the National Republican Campaign Committee for comment.
To be sure, Democrats have not been immune from serious accusations in their ranks.
Former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) exited Congress in April and dropped out of the California gubernatorial race amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. The San Francisco Chronicle published accusations from a former aide that Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two occasions. CNN also reported three other women making separate allegations of sexual misconduct.
And Graham Platner withdrew from the Maine Senate race last month after he was accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct by two women, one of whom alleged he had raped her in 2021. Platner vehemently denied the allegations but was ultimately forced out after his former backers called on him to leave the race.
Even as scrutiny increases on their members, most GOP lawmakers have been mum on whether Miller and Mills should drop out of their races.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Politico’s Dasha Burns that he would not tell Miller to drop out.
“I will tell Max what I tell everyone,” he said. “These are serious allegations. I’m the father of two daughters who work on Capitol Hill. I mean, the allegations are serious. I think Max is taking them seriously, I think our colleagues are, but again, we have to allow this process to play out. It’s just begun.”
Asked last month why Miller and Mills haven’t been pushed out of the House GOP, Johnson had pointed to the Ethics Committee process then as well.
Cammack said in a statement that the allegations against Miller are “deeply troubling” and “deserve a fair, thorough review.”
“Due process is not optional—it is how the truth is established and justice is served. This is clearly an evolving situation, with new allegations continuing to emerge, which is all the more reason to let the full process play out and follow the facts wherever they lead. The Ethics Committee is now reviewing these allegations, and I respect that process,” she said.
“Above all, this is an incredibly painful situation for everyone involved, and my heart especially breaks for the little girl caught in the middle,” she added.
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