Of all the House races to watch in the Buckeye State for the midterms, Ohio’s 9th Congressional District tops the list.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, has held the seat since 1983, but newly redrawn maps in Ohio make this the year she could lose it.
The prospect of a GOP flip in an election cycle in which Republicans are widely expected to lose seats has led to a crowded Republican primary in the district.
Five Republicans and two Libertarians are running to replace Kaptur.
Former state Rep. Derek Merrin and state Rep. Josh Williams are considered the Republican frontrunners. Merrin ran against Kaptur in 2024 and lost by 0.7%.
But a late entrant to the race is shaking things up. Madison Sheahan, the former deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, resigned in January to run for Kaptur’s seat.
Sheahan is closely connected with now former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The same day President Donald Trump announced Noem would be leaving her post, NBC News put out a report highlighting Sheahan’s role with contractors. The report claimed Sheahan threatened the job of an ICE employee for suggesting that the agency consider contractors other than the ones Noem selected.
Questions about the non-competitive bid process and the potential waste of taxpayer funds have also come under scrutiny in reporting from The Washington Examiner and The Daily Wire.
Lucas County Republicans, who are in the 9th district, voiced their displeasure on Facebook: “She is part of the corruption and Ohio doesn’t need that! She should pull out of the race!” one comment read.
A former GOP consultant told The Daily Signal there are “a lot of concerns” with Sheahan’s campaign following the NBC report.
“I think this is a seat we can pick up if she’s not the nominee,” the first consultant said. “She kind of parachuted her way into the district. … I think she had an opportunity, but, you know, for a lot of people, this news might be their first introduction to her, and I think that’s not a good thing.”
Another GOP consultant similarly noted that there are “pretty well-founded fears” with Sheahan’s candidacy.
The consultant emphasized concerns over a carpetbagger status for the former DHS employee. Sheahan spent time in Louisiana with Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration as the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, as The Daily Wire and other outlets reported.
The first consultant who spoke with The Daily Signal noted, “Congresswoman Kaptur has a robust team, and this is just the kind of thing that they are itching to sink their teeth into.” The other pointed out Sheahan has not received an endorsement by the Trump White House despite Vice President JD Vance being from Ohio.
The Sheahan campaign did not respond to The Daily Signal’s multiple requests for comment.
History could repeat itself if Sheahan becomes the nominee. In 2022, JR Majewski faced Kaptur as the Republican nominee and lost by 13.2%. — a result one consultant called “a tremendous waste of opportunity,” adding Sheahan “could have a similar effect on the electorate.”
“There’s a fear amongst Republicans in the know that Madison (Sheahan) would be a very detrimental pick … because she’s a target rife with opportunities to go after,” the consultant further detailed, noting Kaptur is “very good at digging up a lot of stuff on her opponents.”
“Maybe the average Joe doesn’t think about it,” the consultant offered, “but that is something a lot of people locally, I think, (could) be kind of an albatross. … It’s going to continue to be an issue.”
Early voting has started for the May 5 primary, and Sheahan has significant competition from GOP rivals in the race.
Posting on X, Williams said “Madison Sheahan is plagued with scandal,” and “Derrick [sic] Merrin is a proven loser.”
Merrin’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment, but the former Kaptur challenger has posted at length about the congresswoman, including when he posted about Kaptur last month on X, connecting her to long TSA lines related to the partial government shutdown.
He has also made many of his social media posts about defeating Kaptur and standing with President Donald Trump.
Last week, Merrin emphasized an “America First” status on X, calling Kaptur out for her role as co-chair of the U.S. House Hungarian Caucus.
In a statement to The Daily Signal, the Kaptur campaigned touted the congresswoman’s record while highlighting the primary fight from a Republican challenger.
“While Republicans from near and far are fighting through a messy primary in this district they just gerrymandered to their advantage, Congresswoman Kaptur is focused on delivering for her constituents,” the campaign said.
“She’s working to lower costs for working families, protect access to affordable health care, and bring new investment home to Northwest Ohio like the $19.2 Million she announced this month for worker training and nuclear safety.
“Voters are tired of the self-dealing corruption and culture of lawlessness they see on the evening news every night. They want a leader focused on affordability and real results, and Marcy Kaptur consistently works across the aisle to deliver both,” the statement continued.
Ohio’s 9th Congressional District is considered a “Toss-Up” by Cook Political Report.
