Poindexter Ascendant

The plan for Ohio: Rep. Max Miller (R–Ohio) is a former White House aide with the Trump administration who is running for reelection amid serious allegations that he abused his wife and daughter. Democrats see his opponent Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker also running for Congress, as a “red to blue” candidate and have put him on that list, drawing extra fundraising and support. They believe Poindexter, a Democrat, has the opportunity to flip this district (Ohio’s 7th) for them, and that Miller is a weak enough candidate (with the deadline for dropping out of the race having already passed) that they should pour lots of resources into this district.

The worst claims against Miller come from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno—the daughter of Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno (also a Republican). Court documents released by her lawyer accuse Miller of holding a gun to her head, throwing her against a wall, and throwing hot water on her. The documents separately accuse Miller of fracturing their toddler daughter’s collarbone. Miller has not faced criminal charges and has denied Moreno’s allegations.

Meanwhile, Bernie Moreno has said that Miller “is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter.” Miller refuses to drop out of the race and has sued his ex-wife for defamation.

“Poindexter, who turned 47 on Tuesday, is a hard hat-wearing, union card-carrying ironworker,” notes The New York Times. “With fresh opportunity—given Mr. Miller’s struggles—to win over voters in a Cleveland-area district that went for President Trump by double digits, he is the type of candidate some Democrats believe can claw back working-class voters who have flocked to Mr. Trump in recent years.”

In other words, Poindexter stands to benefit from Miller’s messy personal life and allegations of abuse. As the deadline for Miller to drop out passed yesterday, Cook Political Report moved the race from “Likely Republican” to “Toss-up.” But Poindexter has been struggling with fundraising and even the basic mechanics of running a campaign: “A longtime friend of Mr. Poindexter’s from his time on the local City Council serves as his campaign manager, communications director and head of finance all in one,” reports the Times. 

It’s kind of ridiculous that Ohio voters must choose between political dynasties (Miller, with all his now-soured Moreno connections) or ironworkers who don’t have much political talent. “I never got in this race to run because Max Miller is terrible in his personal life,” Poindexter said. I got in it to run because of policies that hurt us.” The only problem is that he’s not selling much of a vision yet, and he has a few minor-seeming skeletons in his closet, including arrests “after a fight with a Pittsburgh fan at a Browns game” and misdemeanor charges “including public intoxication, speeding and, once, assault,” per the Times.”A single felony charge came when he and some buddies ‘got in a scrap with a couple other dudes’ at a local beach.”

Scenes from New York: “Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration was dealt a setback on Monday when a judge paused the rollout of a contentious tax on the second homes of wealthy New Yorkers, forcing city officials to race to file a hasty appeal,” reports The New York Times. “The judge, Wayne M. Ozzi of State Supreme Court on Staten Island, granted a temporary restraining order requested by a group of homeowners who sued the city last week, arguing that the rollout was being mishandled. The halt did not last long: The city filed court papers on Monday evening saying it was appealing the ruling, a move that essentially blocked Justice Ozzi’s order from taking effect until a higher court weighs in.”

QUICK HITS

• “In March 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a memo to require that states work with local officials to spot weaknesses in water systems that hackers could exploit, and then develop plans to remediate them. Municipalities could apply for federal grants to help defray costs,” reports The Washington Post. “But attorneys general in three Republican-led states—Arkansas, Iowa and Missouri—sued, arguing that the memo exceeded the EPA’s authority, failed to provide for public comment and was a financial burden on small towns. The federal appeals court for that region, seen as among the most conservative, halted the rule change. The EPA withdrew it. Late last month, a water utility in the western part of Arkansas, one of the states that sued, was hit with a cyberattack, part of a spate of intrusions into municipal water systems that U.S. spy agencies believe is the work of Iranian regime hackers.”
• “Private credit is showing increasing signs of stress, despite comments to the contrary from some of the largest fund managers that are trying to put a year of turmoil behind them,” reports The Wall Street Journal.
• The Trump administration once again issued a waiver of the Jones Act, valid for 90 days, that lets international vessels travel between U.S. ports in an effort to keep gasoline costs down. The Jones Act has long been incredibly dumb; maybe it will soon get scrapped for good? A GIRL CAN DREAM!
• A race to watch: “The next major stop in the fight between moderate and progressive Democrats will come in Minnesota, where a competitive Senate primary on Tuesday has been shaped by the Trump administration’s deadly immigration crackdown and a fraud scandal that rocked the Democratic-run state government,” reports The New York Times. “The race between Representative Angie Craig, a moderate who represents a purple suburban district in Congress, and Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s progressive lieutenant governor, will offer the latest test of left-wing energy in the Democratic Party as it strives to flip the Senate.”

• “Who Are the Good Guys and the Bad Guys?” asks Ross Douthat in his final essay for The New York Times. “I’m No Longer Sure.”