Republican J.D. Winteregg has launched a 2016 primary challenge. And it’s not just any challenge. It marks his second attempt at taking on one of the most powerful men in the country: Speaker John Boehner. Victory Girls interviewed J.D., who was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.

Victory Girls: Let’s start with the most obvious question, J.D.: Why are you running for Congress, and why are you challenging Speaker Boehner?

J.D. Winteregg: I’m challenging the Speaker because I believe Southwest Ohio needs and deserves better representation. I am running for this Congressional seat because I believe I’m the best person for the job. Our district deserves representation that’s reflective of our values, and Speaker Boehner’s actions—which are often very different from his rhetoric—are not aligned with conservative and Republican values. He has broken his word many times—from the promise to defund Obamacare, to the promise to “fight tooth and nail” against President Obama’s executive amnesty orders, and to securing the borders—he has not kept his word as a “leader” in Congress. I will keep my word, I will represent the conservative voice we’ve lost in our district, and I will work to fight the Far Left in their efforts to fundamentally change our nation. Basically, I’ll actually do what Speaker Boehner promises to do…and, unlike the Speaker, I won’t “fight tooth and nail” against conservatives.

Victory Girls: Can you tell us what qualifications you bring to the table, and a little about yourself?

J.D. Winteregg: I have a background in education and small business. I currently work at a grain elevator, so I have experience in the Agricultural sector as well. These are real-world experiences; they aren’t built on the deceit, manipulation and quid pro quo activities you see in DC—they’re built on hard work and dedication, and I’m good at what I do.

Speaker Boehner campaigns based on what he did over 25 years ago. I’m campaigning based on what I’m doing NOW. I know what it’s like to face overbearing federal intervention in education, and I know what it’s like to battle OSHA regulations that stifle small business growth. Times are drastically different from when Speaker Boehner was in the private sector—we need someone with “real-life” experience. The DC cocktail circuit bears no resemblance to the “real life” of the typical Ohioan.

My wife and I are experiencing the energy prices that have, to quote President Obama, “necessarily skyrocketed.” We help friends who can’t find work while trying to make ends meet ourselves. Unlike the Speaker, we can’t afford an $800K+ second home in Florida. Like many others in Ohio’s 8th district, we are living with a mortgage and debt from school loans. I would be honored to represent regular people in 2016 and I believe I can articulate and understand the issues normal, hardworking Americans experience every day because I myself am a normal, hard-working American.

I also happen to be an American who is fed up with what’s going on in DC, and who’s fired up to do something about it.

Victory Girls: Last year, in a crowded GOP primary field, Speaker Boehner won a landslide victory. Why do you think you can unseat him this time around?

J.D. Winteregg: Speaker Boehner is well-liked as a person. As a legislator and Congressional leader, he’s not. I’ve done the polling to see if it would be possible to beat Speaker Boehner in a primary—it is. This polling was even done before he caved on funding President Obama’s executive amnesty. Since then, he has rolled over on TPA/TPP, voted to reauthorize his disastrous No Child Left Behind (Student Success Act) without getting rid of Common Core, and relentlessly attacked conservatives. Needless to say, his numbers are likely to be much worse now. This will obviously be an enormous task, and we’ll need as much financial help as possible—people can go to jdwinteregg.com to donate. The Speaker can essentially print money—I don’t need to match his millions, but I do need enough to get my message out, which if done properly, will result in victory.

Victory Girls: In your opinion, what is the single-most harmful action Speaker Boehner has overseen? And in fairness: In your opinion, what is the single-most beneficial action Speaker Boehner has overseen?

J.D. Winteregg: I’d say the single-most harmful action Speaker Boehner has overseen is the funding of Obamacare—but that’s certainly not the only harmful thing he’s done as a leader. We’re seeing the effects of this action now—my generation is faced with higher premiums despite not needing the insurance, and we’re continuing to be burdened with the responsibility of funding the healthcare of a rapidly aging Baby Boomer generation. This is not sustainable. As far as the single-most beneficial action he’s done, I would say it was that he appointed a special committee to investigate the Benghazi scandal. It’s important to note, though, that this committee was only appointed the weekend before the last primary election—pretty convenient, right? Since then, no one has been prosecuted. This attack happened 3 years ago, and no one has been held accountable—this is unacceptable.

Victory Girls: And on that video: After producing the now-infamous “Electile Dysfunction” video, you reportedly lost your job teaching a class at Cedarville University. In hindsight, would you stand behind that video, or would you create one less controversial?

J.D. Winteregg: I absolutely stand behind the video. The fact of the matter is that people needed to know what Speaker Boehner has (or hasn’t) done as our representative. He has enabled our President to add over $4T to our national debt, he has voted to fund Obamacare, he has voted to give our President—a guy who negotiated 5 terrorists for a deserter and got nothing out of the deal with Iran while putting our national security at a greater risk—the ultimate authority to negotiate one of the largest economic deals in history. Speaker Boehner has not defunded Planned Parenthood, defunded the President’s executive orders on amnesty, or worked to secure our border. With this laundry list, we put together an ad that highlighted some of these issues in a humorous way. We injected some humor—something Republicans aren’t typically known to do—and we had something that was culturally relevant. Politics is downstream from culture, and with that understanding, we were able to drive an effective message that boosted my name ID in the district and across the country. We estimated that the video generated $8-$10 million in earned media. Unfortunately, my more serious/traditional campaign videos generated virtually no media in 2014…I hope that changes this cycle, now that more people know who I am.

Victory Girls: In your opinion, what are the greatest challenges facing our nation?

J.D. Winteregg: Aside from the obvious challenges (reining in big government, unleashing the power of the private sector to create jobs, decreasing dependency, improving national security, securing our borders, repealing Obamacare, confronting radical Islam, etc.) I think one of the greatest challenges facing our nation is something that’s rarely discussed—what to do with higher education. Our colleges and universities are overrun with a progressive mindset. The Far Left is using these institutions to further their agenda, which is to ultimately dismantle our free-market, capitalist system. Free debate is stifled and graduates are coming out unable to engage in civil discourse or unable to perform simple duties needed for the “real world”—graduates are simply unequipped to survive. We need to take a serious look at the taxpayer money that’s being spent at this level, and we need serious reform that prepares our students to have better opportunities to build our society—not destroy it. Because of these issues, we’re beginning to see problems permeate all facets of society—people are unable to work, the cultural climate is hyper-offended, and free speech and free practice of religion are under attack.

Victory Girls: Open forum: Is there anything we haven’t covered already that you’d like our readers to know?

J.D. Winteregg: The Republican party has a brand problem because of weak and unprincipled GOP leadership. It’s time to repair this brand, and it needs to be done by people like me. I represent the new generation of leadership—I’m committed to the Republican platform, I’m not afraid to confront the Far Left on issues, and I’m principled. I don’t owe anyone anything, I can bridge the gap between youth and older generations, and I’m doing all of this because I still believe that America is not lost. I can help to repair the brand that has been so damaged by Speaker Boehner and his “establishment” cronies.

Many thanks to J.D. for taking time out from his busy schedule to answer our questions. We wish him well in his campaign. You can find J.D. on social media here and here, and at his campaign website here.