(CNN) — Embattled GOP Rep. Max Miller is facing growing calls from Senate Republicans to resign or end his reelection bid – but has so far vowed to remain in the race as he denies abuse allegations from his ex-wife.
Sen. Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, said on Thursday – after sidestepping questions on the matter for days – that Miller should end his campaign and leave Congress.
“I believe Max would be making the right decision to step aside as a candidate and resign from Congress to focus on what is in the best interest of his daughter. Years from now, I believe he will look back and know it was the right choice for her,” Husted posted on X.
Pressed later on why he took so long to call on Miller to resign, Husted said: “That speaks for itself.”
Miller, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to stay in his reelection race.
“I’m going to continue to push. I am going to win this race,” Miller told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” earlier this week.
While publicly Miller continues to be defiant that he won’t abandon his bid for reelection, an intense push to get him out of the race is still underway by party officials, who believe he could now imperil the GOP’s chances in the district, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Ohio’s 7th Congressional District is solidly Republican with Trump winning there by 11 points in 2024.
So far, the efforts haven’t been successful, but the slew of statements calling for him to get out are expected to continue, the source told CNN.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Miller plans to lend his campaign $1 million dollars. “I am invested in this election in every way and I will invest the resources into my campaign to win,” Miller said in a statement to the Journal.
“I am in this for the long haul. I know there are some people that are concerned about my ability to win this race right now, but I don’t share that,” Miller told the Journal.
Over the weekend, Ohio GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno – Miller’s former father-in-law – said that Miller “should not serve” in Congress, calling him “a danger to my daughter.”
“He should not serve in the House of Representatives,” Moreno said on X.
Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, backed up Moreno, telling CNN “we should stand with Bernie” when asked if senators need to call for Miller to step aside.
“My heart is broken for his granddaughter and his daughter. Their safety is what’s most important and we should stand with Bernie,” she told CNN.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Sen. Moreno suggested that Miller had withheld a blue bunny from his daughter – the senator’s granddaughter – saying that at one point “Max would not hand over the little blue bunny, literally held it hostage for 48 hours.
“This girl is crying at night because she can’t sleep without her little blue bunny,” he said.
In the interview with Tapper on Tuesday, Miller denied that, saying, “This is nothing more than an individual who’s being politically vindictive.”
On Wednesday, Miller posted on X a message to Sen. Moreno to “stop the lies.”
Montana GOP Sen. Tim Sheehy said on X Thursday, responding to a post by a reporter regarding the blue bunny, “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.”
Another Republican – GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota – said he would stay out of the matter.
Asked by CNN if Miller should step down or stop running given how open Moreno has been about the ordeal, Rounds replied, “I think if Senator Moreno has made it very clear that it’s a very sensitive family member, and I’ll let him do it. I’m not following it, and I don’t have any more information than anybody else has. I will stay out of it.”
Rounds emphasized, “It’s one thing to be accused. I’ll let those individuals who are investigating it take the lead.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
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