Brook Park City Council member Brian Poindexter unseated Republican Rep. Max Miller in Ohio's 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, Nov. 3, flipping a seat Donald Trump carried by 11 points in 2024.

Miller, who faced allegations of domestic violence during the campaign, is scheduled to begin a custody trial with his ex-wife on Nov. 5.

Poindexter, a 46-year-old ironworker and apprenticeship instructor at Ironworkers Local 17 in Cleveland, received 180,614 votes, or about 54.9%, according to final unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State's Office. Miller received 148,177 votes, or about 45.1%. The Associated Press called the race shortly before 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Poindexter's strength in Cuyahoga County powered the win. He captured 61% of the vote there, according to unofficial results reported by the Akron Beacon Journal. Miller carried the district's smaller counties: Ashland, Medina and Wayne.

The district spans parts of Cuyahoga, Medina, Wayne and Ashland counties, stretching from Cleveland's western suburbs south past Wooster.

Poindexter pledges bipartisan approach

Poindexter celebrated at his Parma campaign headquarters on election night, according to the Beacon Journal. In a statement, he pledged to lower the cost of groceries, gas and health care, raise wages, ban stock trading by members of Congress and reduce corporate money in politics.

"This campaign started one year ago in a garage with a wooden lectern we put together with our own hands, and tonight, working people across Ohio's 7th District finished the job," Poindexter said in a statement reported by the Beacon Journal.

He will serve a two-year term beginning in January 2027.

Abuse allegations dominated the race

Miller's campaign unraveled after his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, accused him in court filings of throwing hot water on her, holding a gun to her head and other physical abuse, according to HuffPost. She also alleged their 2-year-old daughter returned from a custody exchange with a broken collarbone.

Miller denied all allegations. No criminal charges have been filed against him.

A Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services investigation found a lack of evidence to support child abuse, Ideastream reported. A county prosecutor's office found "insufficient admissible evidence" to bring the case involving the daughter's injury to a grand jury, according to Time.

Miller filed a defamation lawsuit against Moreno. He is also suing former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who separately accused him of physical abuse during a prior relationship, according to WOSU. Miller denied those allegations as well.

What comes next

Miller and Moreno have a custody trial scheduled for Nov. 5 in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court, the Beacon Journal reported. Both are seeking sole custody of their daughter. They share custody under the current arrangement.

The House Ethics Committee announced in August it was reviewing allegations of domestic abuse and illegal drug use against Miller, according to CBS News. The committee had not released findings as of Election Day.

Miller conceded in a post on X. "I am disappointed at this evening's election results," he wrote. "We have achieved great things in the last four years and I am disheartened that I cannot continue the good fight."