Miller is claiming that multiple unions are turning their backs on him as he seeks a third term in office \u2014 a result, he argues, of allegations raised in his ongoing public marital dispute with his ex-wife Emily Moreno, the daughter of Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lobbyist for a trade union informed me by text message that the union was withdrawing its support for my campaign because of these allegations,\u201d Miller wrote in a July 8 affidavit \u2014 part of the defamation lawsuit he has brought against his ex-wife following a May 7 Daily Mail report<\/u><\/a> on allegations that Miller, among other things, attacked Moreno with scalding hot water. Miller denies the claims.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepresentatives of two other organizations that had supported my campaign likewise informed me or my campaign that their support was ending because of these allegations,\u201d he continued. \u201cOne labor union\u2019s international organization notified me in writing that it will endorse my opponent in the November 2026 general election, citing my personal circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on those organizations\u2019 typical levels of support, I estimate the withdrawn organizational support at approximately $30,000, in addition to lost personal contributions from individual donors who have told me or my campaign that they will not contribute because of these allegations,\u201d Miller said, going on to conclude that in total his re-election campaign would cost about $2.5 million to $3 million \u2014 up from $1.4 million prior to the need to defend himself from the claims.<\/p>\n

The anxiety comes as Miller is running in a now-competitive district against Democrat Brian Poindexter, a city councilman and member of the local ironworkers union. Poindexter has been leaning on his labor bona fides and focusing on workers rights, as organized labor has emerged as a critical voting bloc across the Cleveland-area district.<\/p>\n

Unions make up 11.6% of wage and salary workers in Ohio, more than the national average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n

Miller did not elaborate in the affidavit on which unions had abandoned his campaign. But there are signs of shifting union support.<\/p>\n

The Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council endorsed Miller in 2024, according to an internet archive<\/u><\/a> of his campaign website. This cycle, the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council \u2014 of which Cleveland is one of 14 member councils \u2014 endorsed<\/u><\/a> Poindexter. Neither council returned a request for comment.<\/p>\n

And Battleground Alliance PAC \u2014 a Democrat-aligned group backed, in part, by labor interests \u2014 has targeted households in Miller\u2019s district with robocalls that highlight domestic abuse allegations, according to a report from <\/u><\/a>Cleveland.com<\/u><\/a>.<\/u><\/a>\u201cWe felt it was important to tell people in the district who may not have heard about it, about what he was alleged to have done,\u201d Andrew Grossman, the PAC\u2019s campaign director, said in an interview.<\/p>\n

A Miller spokesperson did not respond to a request to comment.<\/p>\n

Moreno\u2019s lawyer, Subodh Chandra, pushed back on Miller\u2019s claim that the accusations have cost him union support, calling Miller\u2019s words \u201chearsay\u201d and noting that Miller failed to attach proof to his affidavit.<\/p>\n

\u201cNor is the reason self-evident,\u201d Chandra continued in a July 20 filing. \u201cEven if it\u2019s true, the union could have been walking away from Miller because he\u2019s a lousy candidate to champion its issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller has a mixed record on labor issues. In June, he broke with Speaker Mike Johnson and voted for legislation<\/u><\/a> aimed at making it easier for workers to unionize, after Democrats used procedural maneuvers to force floor consideration of the measure.<\/p>\n

He has also emphasized union support on the campaign trail, highlighting<\/u><\/a> an early July Ohio Conference of Teamsters endorsement.<\/p>\n