Key keywords: Max Miller, Donald Trump, Ohio Republican Primary, 2024 U.S. Congressional Election, Trump Endorsement, Ohio GOP, Congressional Campaign, Political Endorsement Dispute CLEVELAND, Ohio – Incumbent U.S. Representative and former Trump White House aide Max Miller confirmed this week he is moving forward with his re-election campaign in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, despite a public warning issued last week by former President Donald Trump urging him to drop out of the race to make room for a Trump-preferred challenger. Miller, who first won his seat in 2022 with Trump’s full endorsement, issued a formal statement Tuesday saying he “has deep roots in northeast Ohio, has delivered tangible results for his constituents across his first term, and has no intention of walking away from the voters who sent him to Washington.” Trump’s warning, posted to his Truth Social platform last Friday, claimed Miller had "promised me he would not run again in 2024 if I helped him get elected the first time," a claim Miller’s campaign has repeatedly denied. Senior campaign advisor Michael Biundo told local reporters earlier this week that “no such promise was ever made, and Max has always planned to serve the people of his district for multiple terms, as he clearly communicated to voters during his 2022 run.” Over the past 72 hours, Miller’s campaign has rolled out three new regional endorsements from Ohio state legislators representing parts of the 7th district, announced a $2.1 million cash-on-hand fundraising haul for the first quarter of 2024, and scheduled 12 town hall events across Ashland, Medina, and Wayne counties over the next two weeks. Recent internal polling from Miller’s campaign shows him leading the Trump-backed challenger, former state senator Bob Peterson, by 28 points among likely Republican primary voters, with 62% of respondents saying they view Miller favorably, compared to 31% for Peterson. Political analysts note that Miller’s decision to push back against Trump’s warning marks a rare break from the former president’s long-held grip on Republican primary candidates across the country. “This is uncharted territory for the GOP in Ohio,” said Kent State University political science professor Dr. Laura Jensen. “For an incumbent who first won office with Trump’s support to openly ignore a public request from the former president speaks to how much confidence Miller has in his own brand and support among local voters, rather than relying on national partisan surrogates to carry him across the finish line.” The Ohio Republican primary is scheduled for May 7, and both candidates are expected to participate in a televised debate hosted by the Cleveland Fox affiliate on April 23.