Jay Feely called Social Security a ‘Ponzi scheme.’ In CD1, 175,000 people rely on it.

In Arizona's Congressional District 1, roughly 175,000 residents receive Social Security benefits, and Republican candidate Jay Feely has called the program a “liability” and, in a past op-ed he agreed with, a “Ponzi scheme.” His campaign did not respond to questions about what he would do about scheduled 2032 benefit cuts if elected.

Polling from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation found 91% of surveyed voters in several battleground states want changes that avoid automatic cuts, and 85% want lawmakers to act on the program's rising costs. Feely has previously supported privatization and raising the retirement age, positions that intersect with language in the 2024 tax and spending law that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said could allow the administration to privatize the program.

Democratic opponent Amish Shah has pledged to oppose benefit cuts or privatization and says he would push to raise taxes on higher earners to shore up funding.

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