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Madison D. Sheahan is an Ohio Republican political operative and former government administrator who led the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) from January 2024 to March 2025. Jeff Landry selected her despite her primarily political and administrative background rather than conventional wildlife-science experience. She later served as deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), resigned to run for Congress, and lost the Republican primary in May 2026.
Why Jeff Landry chose Madison Sheahan
Landry announced Sheahan as his choice to lead LDWF on December 20, 2023, before taking office as governor in January 2024. He cited her leadership experience, including serving as captain of Ohio State’s women’s rowing team, and her work on policy issues during South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration. The Associated Press reported on Landry’s appointment announcement.
Landry also cited Sheahan’s work with Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer on leadership matters and her involvement in promoting legislation restricting transgender participation in school sports. Those points reflected the political and administrative experience Landry said he wanted in a cabinet secretary, according to the WDSU transcript of his announcement.
Her selection drew attention because LDWF oversees a large, technically specialized department. Its responsibilities include wildlife conservation, fisheries management, aquatic life, research, hunting and fishing regulation, and related law enforcement. Louisiana law assigns the secretary responsibility for the department’s policy and administration and enforcement of wildlife-and-fisheries laws (Louisiana Revised Statutes §36:605; §36:609).
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Her education and early career
Sheahan earned a degree from Ohio State University in agribusiness, public management, leadership and policy, according to Dakota News Now. She was also a member of the university’s women’s rowing team; Ohio State’s 2023 rowing guide lists her as a 2018–19 letter winner.
After college, her career centered on Republican politics. She worked with the Republican National Committee, the Republican Party of South Dakota, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Ohio Republican Party. She was also a state director for Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, as reported by the Associated Press.
Sheahan later worked in Noem’s administration and became executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party. Her work included wildlife, agriculture and natural-resources legislation, experience Landry cited in supporting her appointment.
The main criticism of the appointment
The controversy was not primarily about whether Sheahan had government or management experience. It was about the type of experience she lacked. Contemporary coverage described a résumé built around campaigns, party leadership and policy work rather than professional employment as a wildlife biologist, fisheries scientist or conservation officer (Associated Press; CBS News).
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That distinction matters at LDWF. The secretary does not personally conduct biological surveys or patrol waterways, but the office directs employees and programs that do. The department’s work involves habitat and species management, commercial and recreational fisheries, boating and hunting rules, research, licensing, enforcement and administration of public resources.
Supporters viewed Sheahan’s management and political experience as useful for running a state agency and working with the governor and legislature. Critics questioned whether a political operative without a conventional natural-resources background was the right person to oversee such a specialized department.
Was Madison Sheahan the first woman to lead LDWF?
Landry described Sheahan’s appointment as making her the first woman to lead Louisiana’s wildlife agency. That claim needs qualification: Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission records identify Virginia Van Sickle as LDWF secretary in 1988. The commission meeting minutes therefore contradict the broad “first woman” description.
Sheahan may have been the first woman appointed by Landry or the first woman in a particular modern configuration of the department’s leadership, but the historical records do not support describing her as the first woman ever to hold the position.
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How long was she Louisiana’s wildlife secretary?
Sheahan served as LDWF secretary from January 2024 until March 2025. The department’s executive-staff page lists Tyler M. Bosworth as secretary. Sheahan’s tenure was about 14 months.
She left Louisiana as Noem moved into a federal role under President Donald Trump.
What did Sheahan do after leaving Louisiana?
In March 2025, Sheahan became deputy director of ICE under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. ICE’s official leadership biography said she oversaw the agency’s day-to-day operations, more than 20,000 employees and a budget exceeding $9 billion.
She resigned from ICE on January 15, 2026, to run for Congress in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District against Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, according to the Associated Press.
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Sheahan lost the Republican primary on May 5, 2026, finishing third with about 20.2% of the vote, while Derek Merrin won the nomination. Ohio certified statewide primary results on June 3, 2026. The 13abc election results reported the primary outcome.
Where is Madison Sheahan now?
As of August 9, 2026, Sheahan is not Louisiana’s wildlife secretary, is no longer ICE’s deputy director and is not the Republican nominee for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District. Her public career has included state-party leadership, campaign work, a Louisiana cabinet post and a senior federal immigration-enforcement position.
For readers interested in the wildlife agency itself, the important distinction is that Sheahan was an administrator and political appointee, not a career wildlife scientist. LDWF’s biologists, fisheries managers, conservation officers and other specialists carry out the department’s technical work under the leadership of the secretary and executive staff.
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Who is Madison Sheahan?
Madison D. Sheahan is an Ohio Republican political operative and former government administrator. She led LDWF from January 2024 to March 2025 and later became ICE deputy director.
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Did Madison Sheahan have a wildlife biology background?
Her documented background was mainly in Republican politics, campaign work, party administration, public management and policy. The appointment coverage does not identify prior professional employment as a wildlife biologist, fisheries scientist or conservation officer.
Is Madison Sheahan still Louisiana’s wildlife secretary?
No. She left the position in March 2025. LDWF lists Tyler M. Bosworth as secretary on its executive-staff page.
Was Madison Sheahan the first woman to lead Louisiana’s wildlife agency?
Not according to historical Louisiana records. Although Jeff Landry described her appointment that way, commission records identify Virginia Van Sickle as LDWF secretary in 1988.
The Bottom Line
Madison D. Sheahan was Jeff Landry’s political and administrative choice to lead LDWF, despite not having a conventional wildlife-science or fisheries-management résumé. She served as secretary for about 14 months, moved to ICE as deputy director in 2025, resigned in January 2026 to run for Congress, and lost the Republican primary in May 2026.
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