She attended the University of Minnesota, where she majored in political science and history and minored in economics.
After working for a time at the Minnesota Legislature, Whelan returned to the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs on a scholarship and earned her master's degree in public policy in 2013.
Before the 2014 election, Whelan worked locally with a home health care agency in business development.
[2] Whelan was elected on November 4, 2014 defeating the (DFL) nominee, Peter Perovich, by 20.09% or 2616 votes.
During her time as a state representative, she expressed disapproval of fetal tissue research at the University of Minnesota.