Madison Sheahan
Madison Sheahan (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 9th Congressional District. She lost in the Republican primary on May 5, 2026.
Biography
Madison Sheahan's career experience includes working in law enforcement as the Deputy Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She has also worked in public administration, formerly serving as the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2026
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Democratic primary)
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Republican primary)
Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Libertarian primary)
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur (D), Derek Merrin (R), and Kathy McKinstry (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Marcy Kaptur (D) | |
 | Derek Merrin (R) | |
| Kathy McKinstry (Independent) (Write-in) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Matthew Althaus (L)
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on May 5, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Marcy Kaptur | 100.0 | 45,827 |
| Total votes: 45,827 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Derek Merrin (R) defeated Josh Williams (R), Madison Sheahan (R), Alea Nadeem (R), and Anthony Campbell (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on May 5, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derek Merrin | 44.1 | 25,092 |
 | Josh Williams | 25.3 | 14,419 | |
 | Madison Sheahan | 20.2 | 11,501 | |
 | Alea Nadeem | 5.5 | 3,109 | |
 | Anthony Campbell | 4.9 | 2,800 | |
| Total votes: 56,921 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jacob Frost (R)
- Wayne Kinsel (R)
Libertarian Party primary
Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9
Matthew Althaus (L) defeated David Gedert (L) in the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House Ohio District 9 on May 5, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Matthew Althaus | 59.2 | 535 |
 | David Gedert | 40.8 | 368 | |
| Total votes: 903 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Madison Sheahan did not complete Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Sheahan's campaign website stated the following:
Cost of Living / Affordability
People in Ohio's 9th District are stretched thin right now. Gas costs more. Groceries cost more. And for a lot of families, the paycheck just isn't keeping up. Madison Sheahan thinks Washington has made this worse, not better - and it's time for that to change. She supports lower taxes, expanded child tax relief, and ending taxes on tip and overtime income. If you worked for it, you should keep it. She also supports opening up American energy production, because when energy is affordable, everything gets a little cheaper. Less government interference, more American energy - that's how families start getting ahead again.
Government Spending and Efficiency
Every family in this district knows what it means to live within a budget. Washington has never figured that out. The spending has been out of control for years, and regular people are the ones who end up paying for it. Madison believes that has to stop. That means actually looking at where the money goes, cutting what doesn't work, and making sure welfare programs help people get back on their feet - not keep them stuck. Government should focus on the basics: defense, border security, infrastructure. Not growing itself. Every program should have to prove it's worth what it costs. Most of them haven't had to do that in a long time.
National Security / Foreign Policy
The world pays attention to whether America is strong or not. When we look weak, bad actors take notice. Madison believes the best way to avoid conflict is to make sure no one thinks starting one is a good idea. That means keeping our military funded, modern, and ready. It means standing by the allies who count on us. And it means having a foreign policy that starts with one question: what's best for the American people? Everything else follows from that.
National Debt
We are leaving the next generation with a debt they didn't run up and will spend their whole lives trying to pay off. That's not right, and Madison isn't going to pretend it's not a problem. Getting serious about it means two things: stop spending money we don't have, and grow the economy so we're generating more of it. Cut the waste, hold programs accountable, and reward work over dependency. A strong economy isn't just good for jobs - it's part of how we dig out of this hole without crushing the people coming up behind us.
Job Creation
Good jobs don't come from government programs. They come from businesses that have room to grow, hire people, and pay them well. Madison believes the government's job is to get out of the way and let that happen. That means sensible taxes, regulations that make sense, and letting workers keep more of their overtime and tip income. It also means more domestic energy production and real infrastructure investment - the kind that creates actual jobs right here in Ohio. When businesses feel confident, they invest. When they invest, people get hired. That's how it works.
Housing Affordability
Buying a home feels out of reach for a lot of people right now, and that's a real problem. It's not just about prices - it's about what's driving them up. Too little supply, too many regulations making it harder to build, and energy costs that make construction more expensive than it needs to be. Madison wants to attack those root causes. More domestic energy means lower building costs. Fewer unnecessary regulations means more homes actually get built. A stronger economy means more families can actually qualify for a loan. Homeownership builds stability and generational wealth - and more Ohioans deserve a shot at it.
Tax Reform
The tax code is too complicated, and it takes too much from people who've earned it. Madison wants to fix that. Lower rates mean workers take home more and businesses have more reason to invest and hire. Expanding the child tax credit helps parents. Ending taxes on tips and overtime puts money back in the pockets of the people who worked hardest for it. Simpler taxes also mean less time and money wasted trying to figure out what you owe. A tax system that's fair, competitive, and straightforward is good for workers, good for small businesses, and good for the economy as a whole.
Agriculture
Farming isn't just an industry in Ohio - it's a way of life, and it's the backbone of a lot of communities in this district. Madison Sheahan believes farmers deserve a government that works with them, not against them. That means keeping regulations manageable, protecting access to affordable fuel and fertilizer, and making sure trade deals open markets rather than close them. Family farms operate on tight margins and don't have room for bureaucratic interference or unpredictable policy swings. Madison will fight for policies that let Ohio farmers stay competitive, stay independent, and keep passing their land down to the next generation.
Healthcare Costs
Healthcare should not cost this much. Too many families in the 9th District are skipping prescriptions, avoiding the doctor, or drowning in medical bills - not because they don't have coverage, but because the costs underneath that coverage are out of control. Madison believes the answer is more competition, more transparency, and less bureaucracy - not more government control. Letting insurers compete across state lines, requiring hospitals and providers to be upfront about what things cost, and cracking down on the middlemen who drive up drug prices without adding value - these are real solutions that don't require a government takeover to work.
Healthcare Access
Having insurance on paper doesn't mean much if you can't actually get care. In parts of Ohio's 9th District - especially in rural areas - finding a doctor, a specialist, or even an urgent care clinic can be a real challenge. Madison supports expanding access through market-based solutions: telehealth that gives people more options without leaving home, cutting the red tape that keeps qualified providers from practicing where they're needed, and supporting community health resources that serve people where they are. Access to care shouldn't depend on your zip code.
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are one of Ohio's greatest assets - for drinking water, for the economy, for recreation, and for the communities that depend on them. Madison Sheahan takes that seriously. Protecting the Great Lakes means keeping industrial pollutants out, managing invasive species before they do irreversible damage, and making sure infrastructure investments protect water quality for the long haul. This isn't a partisan issue - it's a practical one. Clean water and a healthy Lake Erie matter to every family, every farmer, and every business in the region. Madison will work to protect them.
Guns
Madison Sheahan supports the Second Amendment - full stop. Law-abiding Ohioans have the right to keep and bear arms, and that right doesn't need to be qualified, chipped away at, or subjected to new layers of bureaucratic restriction. The problem with violent crime isn't that too many responsible people own guns. It's that criminals aren't being held accountable. Madison believes in enforcing the laws already on the books, keeping repeat offenders off the streets, and not punishing law-abiding citizens for the actions of people who were never going to follow the rules anyway.
Trade / Tariffs
Ohio's workers and manufacturers have paid a steep price when trade policy gets it wrong. Madison believes trade deals should put American workers first - opening real markets for Ohio goods, holding trading partners accountable when they cheat, and making sure we're not hollowing out domestic industry in the name of cheap imports. At the same time, tariffs are a tool, not a solution - and they work best when they're strategic and paired with policies that actually help American businesses compete. The goal is fair trade that creates jobs here, not just cheaper products made somewhere else.
Election Integrity
People have to be able to trust that elections are fair. When they don't, everything else in democracy gets harder. Madison supports common-sense measures to protect election integrity: voter ID requirements, accurate voter rolls, secure absentee ballot processes, and transparent auditing so results can be verified. These aren't radical ideas - most countries with functioning democracies use them. Making it easy to vote and hard to cheat aren't opposites. Both things can be true at the same time, and Madison will push for election laws that reflect that.
Immigration Enforcement / Border Security
An open border isn't compassionate - it's chaotic, and it's dangerous. Fentanyl flowing across the southern border is killing Ohioans. Human trafficking networks are exploiting vulnerable people. And communities across the country are being asked to absorb the consequences of a policy failure that Washington created and refuses to fix. Madison supports finishing the border wall, giving law enforcement the resources they need to do their jobs, ending catch-and-release, and restoring a system where immigration law actually means something. Legal immigration built this country. Illegal immigration undermines it - and the people harmed most are often the ones who came here the right way.
Public Safety
People deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods, and right now too many people in Ohio don't. Madison Sheahan stands firmly behind law enforcement. The push to defund and demoralize police departments was a disaster, and the communities that bore the brunt of it were the ones that could least afford it. Madison believes in fully funding public safety, giving officers the tools and training they need, and making sure the justice system actually keeps dangerous people off the streets. Respecting law enforcement and demanding accountability aren't in conflict - good policing depends on both.
Energy
Energy is the foundation of everything. It heats homes, powers factories, fuels trucks, and affects the price of nearly every product on the shelf. Madison Sheahan believes America should be producing as much of its own energy as possible - oil, natural gas, nuclear, and more. Energy independence means lower costs for families, less exposure to foreign instability, and more jobs in places like Ohio that have the resources and the workforce to produce it. The current administration's war on domestic energy production didn't save the environment - it just made everything more expensive and sent production overseas. That's not a trade-off that makes sense for anyone.
— Madison Sheahan's campaign website (April 23, 2026)
Campaign finance summary
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
