LOUISIANA, USA — With his inauguration less than three weeks away, Governor-elect Jeff Landry has named his picks to lead three key state departments. One of Landry’s choices has caught some by surprise.
Wednesday, he announced Madison Sheahan will head up the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Sheahan is the Executive Director of the South Dakota Republican Party, a position she has held for less than a year. Before that, she worked with Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign. At 26, Sheahan will be one of the youngest people to hold a cabinet position in Louisiana history.
Landry touted Sheahan’s leadership experience, in roles ranging from “working directly with the governor of South Dakota” to captain of the rowing team at Ohio State. He also mentioned she has worked on legislation related to “wildlife, agriculture, and natural resources,” though she does not seem to have any professional or political background in those fields.
“What I’m hearing is ‘where did this come from,’” said WWL Louisiana Political Analyst Clancy Dubos. He said Landry’s decision to appoint Sheahan to head up the LDWF is mystifying, considering her age, lack of relevant experience, and the fact that she is from outside of Louisiana. “She might get in there and do a great job. But I don’t think there’s a lot of confidence in her on the way in. She’ll have to earn that confidence,” said Dubos.
Landry said he is “confident” that Sheahan and her team “will reshape and rebrand the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.”
He suggested that reform was necessary not just in the LDWF, but the other two departments to which he announced leadership appointments on Wednesday.
Landry announced Dr. Ralph Abraham will lead the Louisiana Department of Health. Dr. Abraham is a family medicine physician in Rayville who served three terms in the House of Representatives. “[He] has seen firsthand the healthcare challenges facing Louisiana,” said Landry.
Dubos believes Dr. Abraham is a solid choice for the role. “He’s dealt with health policy at the national level, he’s a successful physician and business owner,” he said. “There’s a lot of things about him that make sense as someone to be head of a department.”
Dr. Abraham has faced controversy in the past.
He supported the then-untested COVID-19 remedy hydroxychloroquine during the pandemic, and drew criticism from the American Medical Association for a tweet that read: “Abortions nearly always have a fatal outcome for the baby, and many times it’s the same for the mother.”
Dubos believes there will be less tolerance for statements like that once Dr. Abraham is head of the LDH. “As the state director of health and hospitals, if he’s caught making these very ‘Trump-y’ political statements, he’s going to feel it,” said Dubos.
Landry also announced newly-retired Caddo Parish Chief Juvenile Court Judge David Matlock will head the Department of Children and Family Services.
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