Republicans Vie for Chance to Unseat 22-Term Democrat in Ohio

“Who is your choice to BEAT Marcy?”

That catchphrase for a recent GOP candidate forum in Toledo, Ohio, is also the question that voters along Lake Erie will decide on May 5 in one of the nation’s most-closely watched congressional races.

Five Republicans are on the primary election ballot in Ohio’s 9th congressional district; the winner will challenge America’s longest-serving congresswoman, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, in the Nov. 3 general election.

The 79-year-old Democrat is running unopposed in her bid to retain the seat she has held since 1983.

Last fall, after Ohio lawmakers realigned the district’s boundaries, it changed from a “toss-up” to leaning Republican, according to the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

As a result, conditions could be more favorable for Republicans to topple Kaptur—if the GOP can unite around a candidate. Neither Kaptur nor the Democratic Party in Lucas County, the district’s most-populated area, responded to The Epoch Times’ requests for comment.

Barbara Orange, Lucas County Republican party chair, described the crowded primary contest as “a bit intense.”

The local GOP is not endorsing any of the candidates. But Orange noted that two of the contenders, Ohio Rep. Josh Williams and former state Rep. Derek Merrin, are both lifelong residents who are “very well-liked and respected locally” for their work in the state legislature.

Williams has pointed out that he was the first black Republican elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 50 years.

And Merrin came close to beating Kaptur in 2024. She staved off his challenge by winning 48.3 percent of the vote, a sliver above Merrin’s 47.6 percent.

The other three 2026 primary candidates are Air National Guard Lt. Col. Alea Nadeem; Madison Sheahan, former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deputy director; and Anthony Campbell, a vice president of data science at Northern Ohio Medical Specialists (NOMS) Healthcare, where he “uses data to stop wasteful spending and make sure healthcare works for the patient, not the insurance companies,” his website says.

All three are less well known than Merrin and Williams are, Orange said.

But Sheahan drew national attention in January when she announced she was leaving her top U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement job to run for Congress.

Nadeem gained notice for her military service—and for her childhood ordeal: Her father abducted her and took her to Iraq. There, Nadeem lived under the oppressive regime of dictator Saddam Hussein before being rescued and returned to America. That experience taught her how precious freedom is, her website says, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks motivated her to join the military.

Considering this diverse and crowded field, “I couldn’t really predict who will be the nominee,” Orange said.

Voter turnout will be a major factor, she said, hoping that more primary voters than usual will be motivated to help decide this crucial contest.

The Epoch Times attempted to reach all five candidates for comment, but received responses from only Williams and Nadeem, both via email.

From Homelessness to the Statehouse

Williams said, “Our campaign is resonating. … I’m not asking for support based on a name, I’m earning it.”

His campaign has “built the broadest coalition of support,” he said, with more than 100 endorsements from officials, grassroots organizations, and law enforcement.

Asked why voters should choose him, he replied: “I’m running to restore the American Dream and make sure it’s within reach for every family in Northwest Ohio.”

Williams described growing up poor, homeless, and being forced to drop out of high school when he was 18.

“Later, I faced a severe workplace injury that left me disabled and bedridden for many years. I’ve had to fight through government systems just to get back on my feet,” he wrote. “But through faith, hard work, and determination, I was able to turn my life around, earning both my undergraduate and law degrees in just five years, becoming an attorney, and ultimately serving as a state representative.”

Williams wants to make it easier for people to lift themselves up like he did. “That’s why I’m running. I’ll fight to lower costs, create good-paying jobs, and make sure each generation of Northwest Ohioans has more opportunity than the last,” he said.

He thinks Republicans have mistakenly considered “parts of this district as unwinnable,” especially in Toledo’s inner-city neighborhoods—his old stomping grounds.

“If we’re serious about winning, we have to show up everywhere, have real conversations, and earn support from voters who may not always hear from our party, while staying true to our conservative principles,” Williams said.

Williams said he has been going to those neighborhoods and “made the case for conservative policies that create opportunity and stability for every family.”

Political Outsider Sees Advantage

Nadeem, in her response to The Epoch Times, wrote: “The MAIN reason voters should choose me is that I’ve built my life on real service: 22 years in the Air Force.”

“I’m fighting because I’m tired of seeing career politicians and unethical representatives in Congress who no longer serve the people they represent,” she said.

Nadeem said she is concerned that Republicans could blow a great opportunity if voters fail to choose a strong, scandal-free candidate with broad appeal.

Without invoking her opponents’ names or other specifics, Nadeem said she believes Republican voters are having a tough time making a choice because of some of her rivals’ past track records or controversies.

“I’ve articulated [that] outsiders have the strongest chance of unseating entrenched incumbents and if they don’t believe me, they can do their own research,” she said.

She cited President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) as examples of political outsiders who won elections. “People want and like outsiders,” Nadeem said.

Although the redrawn district now leans in the GOP’s favor, “The Republican party has continued to make the same mistake when picking the Republican nominee to face Kaptur. We need someone who can sway Democrats, unaffiliated voters, and Independents—they want someone they can believe in and trust.”

She noted: “The same people who voted for President Trump also voted for Marcy Kaptur in the last election.”

“Marcy Kaptur is a household name and we need to provide voters in November an off ramp to her—and hopefully I can be on the on ramp for them,” Nadeem wrote.

Toby Miller of VoteR PAC—a Toledo-area group dedicated to Republican voter turnout—said Kaptur “has built a significant war chest and defeating her is no small task.”

As of April 15, federal campaign-finance reports showed Kaptur had just under $3.1 million cash on hand—more than all five Republican contenders combined—after spending about $741,000 on her campaign.

The two top GOP fundraisers were Williams, who brought in $852,000 and has spent $716,000 thus far, followed by Merrick’s receipts of $757,000 and disbursements of $645,000. Nadeem came in third with about $690,000 collected and $581,000 spent.

“It will take an informed electorate, a unified effort, and the right candidate to be successful in November,” Miller told The Epoch Times. “This race is critical for both the balance of power for President Trump’s remaining term and for Northwest Ohio and its economic future.”