Meet the Republican candidates running in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District primary

Five candidates are running in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District’s Republican Primary to challenge the long-time incumbent Marcy Kaptur.

The candidates are Ohio state Rep. Josh Williams, former Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin, former Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel in the Alea Nadeem, former deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Madison Sheahan, and health care industry worker Anthony Campbell.

Republican voters in the Northwest Ohio district will cast their ballots in Ohio’s Primary Election on May 5.

“It could be an ugly primary,” said David Cohen, a fellow at the University of Akron’s Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

Whoever wins the primary election will face Ohio Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who has represented Ohio’s 9th congressional district since 1983 — making her the longest-serving woman in congressional history.

“While Republicans from near and far are fighting through a messy primary in this district they gerrymandered again just last fall, Congresswoman Kaptur is focused on delivering real results for constituents across Northwest Ohio,” Kaptur’s campaign said in a statement. “There’s more work to do, and she’s not slowing down.”

Kaptur is someone who knows how to win elections, campaign, and raise money, Cohen said.

“She doesn’t have to spend any money on building up her name recognition,” he said. “Everybody in the ninth (district) that has a pulse knows who Marcy Kaptur is.”

President Donald Trump won this district by 11 points in 2024 and the Cook Political Report says this district’s race is a toss-up.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously passed a new congressional map in October, increasing the Republican advantage in the state to 12-3.

Republicans currently hold 10 out of 15 Ohio U.S. Congressional districts.

Ohio’s 9th congressional district now leans Republican with a 54.5% to 45.5% Republican-to-Democratic ratio.

Midterm elections typically favor the opposite party of the president and the Democrats are trying to gain control of the House.

There are 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats in the U.S. House Of Representatives. There are currently three vacancies.

“It’s no secret that the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is razor thin,” Cohen said. “Every single seat counts.”

Williams

Williams is an Ohio state Rep. for the Sylvania district and serves as the Ohio House Majority Whip. He was elected to office in 2022 and was the first Black Republican elected to the Ohio House in 50 years.

Merrin

Merrin served four terms as an Ohio state representative for the Toledo district from 2016 to 2025. He lost a close race to Kaptur during the 2024 election.

Kaptur got 181,098 votes and Merrin received 178,716 votes. Merrin was also mayor of Waterville, a suburb of Toledo, from 2008 to 2011.

“Our comeback starts with more high paying jobs, and I want to fight to bring it back home because we need American jobs to bolster Northwest Ohio’s economy,” Merrin said in his campaign video.

Nadeem

This is Nadeem’s first time running for office and she is a Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of a Security Forces Squadron in the Air National Guard.

She is originally from Toledo, but spent four years in Iraq while Saddam Hussein was in power when she was a child after her father kidnapped her. Her mother worked with the FBI and the local government in Toledo to get her back to the United States.

“Now more than ever, Northwest Ohio needs to demand better and aim higher,” Nadeem said in her campaign video. “After 43 years in Washington, Marcy Kaptur, a career politician, has lost touch.”

Sheahan

Sheahan grew up in Northwest Ohio and graduated from Ohio State University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in public affairs.

She was then-South Dakota governor Kristi Noem’s political director from 2021 to 2024 and was the executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party from January 2023 to January 2024.

Sheahan also served as the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from January 2024 to March 2025, until she started working for ICE.

“In less than one year at ICE, I’ve stopped more illegal immigration than Marcy Kaptur has in her 43 years in Washington,” Sheahan said in her campaign video.

“I’m a Trump conservative running for Congress to protect American jobs, American paychecks and American values. No excuses. Let’s get it done.”

“I’m sure in a few districts being the former deputy director of ICE would be a net positive,” Cohen said. “I can’t see it being a net positive in the Ohio ninth though.”

He said it was “baffling” seeing Sheahan enter the race.

“I think, frankly, it’s a lack of self awareness to think that somebody that was in a very high level for one of the most unpopular agencies in our federal government would just be able to waltz into a crowded primary and be able to not only take the nomination, but also be the most competitive candidate in the general election,” Cohen said.

A January YouGuv poll found that majorities of Americans believe that ICE often uses unnecessary force, and view the agency unfavorably. Large majorities said the agency has fundamental problems it needs to fix, and that recruitment standards need to be raised.

The Lucas County Republican Party recently voted overwhelmingly that whoever they endorse must have lived in the district for the past year, said Tom Waniewski, the communications chairman for the party.

This vote happened after Sheahan entered the race and the Lucas County GOP said they will likely endorse a candidate after the May primary, Waniewski said.

Campbell

Campbell grew up in Sandusky and is the vice president of data science and analytics at NOMS Healthcare, according to his Linkedin account.

He has degrees from Bowling Green State University, Liberty University, and Xavier University.

Questionnaire

The Ohio Capital Journal sent a questionnaire to all of the Republican candidates, but Williams and Nadeem were the only candidates who sent back responses. The candidates’ answers to the questionnaire have been shortened for brevity.

Why are you running for Ohio’s ninth congressional district?

Williams: “I’m running for Congress to bring new leadership that understands hardship and knows how to fight back against a broken system. I was born and raised in poverty in inner-city Toledo, experienced homelessness as a teenager, and later suffered a life-changing injury that left me disabled for over six years. Through faith and perseverance, I rebuilt my life becoming an attorney, professor, and now a Majority Whip in the Ohio House of Representatives.”

Nadeem: “I’m running for Congress because I’m done watching career politicians win elections and lose touch with the people they’re supposed to serve. … I’m running because I believe in conservative values. I believe in accountability. I believe in putting Northwest Ohio first. And I’m ready to fight for it.”

What’s one thing you want voters to know about you that they can’t learn from reading your biography?

Williams: “What voters can’t learn from a biography is how relentlessly I show up and fight for this district. … I’ve attended countless GOP club meetings and grassroots events across Northwest Ohio and met with over 100 local elected officials and community leaders to hear directly what people need. This isn’t about politics to me, it’s about a true calling to serve Northwest Ohio.”

Nadeem: “I’m not in this for attention. I’m naturally humble. I don’t like talking about myself, and I don’t believe leadership is about self-promotion. It’s about service. What drives me is simple: solving problems, delivering real results, and fighting to keep the American Dream alive for the next generation.”

President Donald Trump won this district by 11 points in 2024. The Cook Political Report labels this district’s race a toss-up. Can you talk about the importance of this race and why it is important for you to flip the district Republican?

Williams: “This district is one of the clearest opportunities in the country to flip a Democrat seat Republican and protect President Trump’s House majority. … What’s been missing is a candidate who can unite the conservative base, inspire turnout, and fight with the same urgency and conviction that President Trump has. … This race will help determine control of the House, the success of President Trump’s agenda, the future of the country, and proving that America First leadership wins even in districts Democrats have held for decades. Flipping this district isn’t just important for Northwest Ohio, it’s critical for America.”

Nadeem: “Control of the House of Representatives will likely come down to this district. Northwest Ohio needs a leader in Congress who will work with the President instead of reflexively opposing every policy. I will be a leader for the workers in Toledo and along the Lake Erie shoreline, and one more seat in a majority that can deliver real results. The voters already showed us where they stand. Republicans just need to give voters an appealing alternative to Marcy Kaptur in 2026.”