DCCC adds Max Miller's Democratic opponent to 'Red to Blue' list

Daniela Altimari and Nina Heller, CQ-Roll Call on Aug 11, 2026

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WASHINGTON — With embattled Republican Rep. Max Miller sticking with his reelection bid in the face of domestic abuse allegations, Democrats are increasingly optimistic of flipping his Ohio seat.

The House Democratic campaign arm on Tuesday added ironworker Brian Poindexter to its “Red to Blue” program, which offers additional resources to promising recruits seeking to win GOP-held seats.

“Brian Poindexter is exactly the kind of leader Ohio families deserve in Congress — a union ironworker who has spent his life working alongside the people he’s running to represent,’’ Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

“Max Miller has never lived that reality,” she added, “and is now facing credible allegations of domestic violence that cannot be ignored.”

Even before the allegations drew headlines, Democrats were optimistic that historic trends and Trump’s sliding poll numbers would bolster Poindexter’s chances of unseating Miller this fall. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales on Monday shifted its rating for Ohio’s 7th District from Lean Republican to a Toss-up.

Democrats are also adding Michigan former special victims prosecutor Christina Hines to the Red to Blue list. Hines won a three-way primary last week in the 10th District, a suburban swing seat north of Detroit. She is set to face Army veteran Mike Bouchard, who won the Republican nomination with endorsements from President Donald Trump and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

DelBene described Hines as “tough as nails” and expressed confidence she will flip the open seat, which GOP Rep. John James is vacating to run for governor.

Hines, who touts her Macomb County roots, was the 2024 Democratic nominee for county prosecutor. Bouchard, though, could benefit from a popular name as his father, Michael Bouchard, is the longtime sheriff of neighboring Oakland County. Trump carried the district, which straddles both counties, by about 7 points in 2024, according to Inside Elections, which rates the race Tilt Republican.

The two new Red to Blue additions mark the second time in the past week that congressional Democrats have expanded their offensive target list: Last week, the party added a dozen candidates, most of whom are running in districts Trump carried by double digits two years ago. The total number of House seats targeted by the DCCC now stands at 60, reflecting the party’s escalating confidence in winning control of the chamber this fall.

Miller, 37, was first elected to the Cleveland-area 7th District in 2022 and serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means committees. Trump carried the district by 11 points in 2024, according to calculations by Inside Elections.

Miller has been in legal and custody battles with his former wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno. She has accused him of pouring hot water on her and told police she couldn’t rule out Miller’s involvement in their young child’s broken collarbone, according to court filings. Miller, who has denied the allegations, filed in 2024 for divorce, which was finalized last year. But public scrutiny has grown in recent months after reporting from Mother Jones and other outlets.

Last week, the House Ethics Committee announced it was reviewing reports of domestic violence and illegal drug use, after Miller said he would seek such a probe in an effort to clear his name.

The addition of Poindexter to the list comes the day after a statutory deadline for Miller to withdraw from the race. Several prominent Republicans, including his former father-in-law and Jon Husted, Ohio’s junior senator, had urged him to end his campaign.

—Mary Ellen McIntire contributed to this report.