Max Miller

Congressman Max Miller’s uncanny ability to keep his name – and his many controversies – in the news showed up again when a campaign event was canceled, and Today in Ohio podcast hosts asked Wednesday when Miller will learn to stop the dramatics.

Host Laura Johnston explained that the official reason given for the cancellation of a political event at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick was security threats . But no law enforcement agency knew anything about any security threats. Podcast host Chris Quinn suggested the real reason might have been that Mapleside Farms, a popular destination for families of all political backgrounds, wanted to avoid Miller’s polarizing presence.

The event was supposed to feature Miller alongside Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna to promote the federal SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo ID when casting a ballot.

The campaign put out a dramatic statement claiming threats had made the gathering “untenable” — claiming American democracy is under attack. The problem? Brunswick police and the Medina County Sheriff’s office had no knowledge of any threats.

“If you get serious threats, you report it to police. So I’m calling this a flat out lie,” Quinn said.

Johnston pointed out that the statement seemed less like a genuine security concern and more like a political play, noting that it read as though the campaign was trying to turn the cancellation into a martyrdom moment for Miller.

“It’s almost like they tried to turn these threats into a pump up Miller statement,”* she said. “Like he’s under attack for his pursuit of integrity for elections. Like what? I mean, it’s just complete fallacy. It’s just made up.”

Quinn went further, stepping back to look at the bigger picture of Miller’s crumbling campaign. The congressman, he argued, has made a series of baffling and self-destructive decisions — from suing his ex-wife for defamation (which catapulted the controversy into the national spotlight) to this latest episode.

“Every step, it’s a proactive decision on his part that dooms him,” Quinn said. *“When does he just do the opposite? Whatever your instinct tells you, do the opposite. You’ll be way ahead.”

And the damage is showing up in the numbers. Lisa Garvin said a Republican-leaning survey of 615 voters found Democrat Brian Poindexter leading Miller 47% to 33%, with Miller’s unfavorable rating climbing 16 points to a 57%. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has taken notice, adding Poindexter to its Red to Blue program — a sign that national Democrats now believe the seat is flippable.

“This is Poindexter’s to lose,” Quinn said.

Ohio’s 7th congressional district was supposed to be a safe Republican hold. Instead, Miller has turned what should have been a comfortable reelection into one of the most talked-about congressional collapses of the cycle. The canceled Mapleside Farms event is just the latest chapter.

Listen to the conversation here.

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