John Boehner's Republican primary challenger has lost his university teaching job over a cheeky ad taking a not-so-sublte jab at the House speaker's last name.
J.D. Winteregg’s campaign earlier this month released an ad titled, “When the Moment is Right,” mocking Boehner (R-Ohio) in the style of an erectile dysfunction medication commercial, calling it "electile dysfunction."
And although the ad was met with approval from certain conservative news outlets, Cedarville University, a Christian school east of Dayton, Ohio, was apparently unimpressed with its tone.
“Cedarville University does not engage in partisan politics and holds a high regard for displaying Christian values in the community. When faculty or staff members participate in political conversations, interviews, advertisements, or endorsements, they are doing so as individual citizens,” the university said in a statement, confirming his termination.
“Mr. Winteregg in his recent political campaign video did not represent the views or values of Cedarville University,” the statement added.
J.D. Winteregg plans to unseat Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) in an upcoming primary election (Image source: YouTube)
The 32-year-old congressional hopeful told TheBlaze that his termination wouldn’t deter him from working to get his campaign’s message out.
“I’d be the best guy for this job,” Winteregg told TheBlaze Monday in a phone interview. “John Boehner isn’t cutting it. We got to stick to the message and continue doing what we’re doing. I’m more motivated than ever to fight for what’s right.”
Winteregg will face Boehner in Ohio's May 6 primary election. Boehner has served Ohio's 8th district since 1991.
“This is indicative of the kind of problems we’re experiencing in Washington, D.C.,” Winteregg’s campaign manager, John Eakin, told TheBlaze Monday. “The speaker won’t call for special council on the Benghazi hearings; nobody is being held accountable for those things; nobody is being held accountable for the IRS scandal.”
“When it comes down to everybody who has gotten fired in Washington, the only person who has is a French teacher from Ohio,” he added.
Winteregg taught as an adjunct professor of French at Cedarville University beginning in 2011, the same year that Boehner took over as House Speaker.
We were "definitely [told] before J.D. even got into this race that there’s no such thing as coincidences in politics,” Eakin said. "And so, you know, this is just something that I guess is a coincidence, but thereby is not really one.”
Here’s the ad that prompted Winteregg’s termination:
Winteregg defended Cedarville University’s right to end its relationship with him.
“There’s no ill will,” he told TheBlaze. “They’re a private institution. I understand that. They’re free to do what they want. I believe in the free market.”
“I was told when I got into this by some insiders in the Republican Party in the state that I probably wouldn’t work in Ohio again if I went after Boehner,” he added with a laugh.
A spokesperson for Cedarville University did not immediately respond to TheBlaze’s request for comment.
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