In the heat of a suddenly competitive Ohio congressional race, Democrat Brian Poindexter is turning a family dispute into a campaign weapon. His campaign is set to release an ad Wednesday that highlights Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno's harsh criticism of Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) — Moreno's former son-in-law — over a custody-related clash involving a stuffed blue bunny.
The ad, first obtained by The Hill, arrives as Miller confronts a storm of abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. She has accused him of throwing hot water at her, holding a gun to her head, and breaking their daughter's collarbone. Miller has denied all claims and is currently under review by the House Ethics Committee.
Moreno's Blue Bunny Remarks Take Center Stage
The spot features audio from August in which Moreno told reporters that his granddaughter was crying at night because Miller allegedly refused to return her beloved blue bunny during a custody exchange. "Look, I don't care about the politics of this," Moreno said in the clip. "My granddaughter, she has a little blue bunny that she sleeps with. 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. And his answer is, 'I'm just not going to give it to you.' So this is the level of total and complete depravity. Truly the seventh level of hell."
Miller has previously denied that he kept the bunny from his daughter. The Hill has reached out to Miller's office for comment on the ad.
Democratic Strategy: Amplify GOP Criticism
The ad is part of a broader Democratic push to tie Miller to criticism from within his own party. It intersperses headlines from outlets like Mother Jones and The Christian Science Monitor, with the latter opening: "A missing blue bunny. Scalding hot water. A toddler watching it all."
Poindexter told The Hill that voters deserve the full picture. "The fact is that both of Ohio's Republican senators have said Max Miller is unfit to serve," he said. "The people who know him best say he should not represent us in Congress."
Ohio Democrats plan to spend at least $500,000 on mailers featuring similar Republican criticisms, according to a source familiar with the strategy. The mailers include quotes from Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), who called Miller a "degenerate sociopath," and from Sens. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), both of whom have called for Miller's resignation.
Race Shifts to Toss-Up
The political stakes are rising. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has moved the race from "likely Republican" to "toss-up," even though former President Trump carried the district by 11 points in 2024. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has stepped in with a three-week, $450,000 ad buy that began Sept. 7, according to Politico.
Miller's spokesperson, Abigail Angelos, previously pushed back, saying, "The good people of the Ohio 7th district are standing behind Congressman Miller and the recent support from the NRCC confirms the party is standing behind him as well. He looks forward to returning in November."
The contest is drawing national attention as Democrats see an opening to flip a seat in a district that has trended Republican. Democrats are also highlighting broader issues to energize voters, but this ad zeroes in on Miller's personal conduct, hoping that Republican voices will resonate where Democratic attacks might not. The turnout dynamics in 2026 remain uncertain, and this race will be a key test of whether such messaging can move the needle.
