Former ICE official loses Ohio GOP primary in bid for House seat of longtime Dem Rep Kaptur

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement official Madison Sheahan lost a primary Tuesday night for the Republican nomination for a battleground Ohio House district that the GOP is hoping to flip in November.

Former state Rep. Derek Merrin won the Republican nomination in the 9th Congressional District over Sheahan and will face off against Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur again later this year.

Merrin previously ran against Kaptur in 2024 but only lost by less than one percentage point, according to Politico. Republicans are hoping Merrin will flip the seat in November after the Ohio legislature redrew the state’s congressional map in a way that makes the district more favorable for Republicans.

The victory comes after some conservatives expressed concern about Sheahan's electability because of her role in the federal government's immigration crackdown, which she leaned into in her primary bid. 

Sheahan launched her campaign in January, just days after a violent clash resulted in the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. The campaign was launched before the death of protester Alex Pretti.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.