[2][3] Raised a Catholic, she graduated from Father Ryan High School in 1979[4] and went on to earn a BS in Microbiology and a BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame.
[1] In 2004, Wehby led an unsuccessful statewide campaign for Ballot Measure 35, which would have tightened Oregon's medical malpractice regulations, limiting damages recovered for patient injuries caused by a healthcare provider's negligence or recklessness.
[6] In 2007, she was elected president of the Oregon Medical Association and in 2009, she appeared in nationwide television advertisements warning about possible problems with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).
[5][7] In October 2013, Wehby announced that she would seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat held by first-term Democratic incumbent Jeff Merkley.
"[8] In the primary election, she faced information technology consultant Mark Callahan, State Representative Jason Conger, attorney Tim Crawley and former chairwoman of the Linn County Republican Party and nominee for Mayor of Albany in 2010 Jo Rae Perkins.
Called "Trust", the minute-long ad was narrated by a former patient of Wehby's, who was advised to terminate her pregnancy after an ultrasound discovered a congenital disorder with her unborn daughter's spinal cord.
Senator, Democrat Ron Wyden, and Utah Republican Bob Bennett, which Conger said was "90 percent there with Obamacare" because it contained provisions that people purchase government-approved insurance plans.
Wehby responded that it was "a good plan; it was a market-based approach" and said that she never supported the entire bill and did not think uninsured people should be mandated or enticed into buying health insurance.
[6] The battle between the more centrist, establishment-supported Wehby and the more conservative, grass-roots-supported Conger was seen as symptomatic of a Republican Party that had failed to win a statewide election in Oregon since then-U.S.
Wehby was also questioned about her links to businessman Andrew Miller, a major Republican donor, who had contributed heavily to efforts to support her and oppose Jason Conger.
The Democratic Party of Oregon filed a complaint to the Federal Election Commission, saying that it was "implausible" to think that Miller would not be privy to private information about her campaign plans and projects.
[29] Webhy received an endorsement by Ben Carson, retired surgeon, conservative activist and the 17th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
[36] On 6 September, a super PAC affiliated with the Koch brothers announced that it was cancelling all the television ad time that it had reserved in October, totalling almost $1 million, having previously spent heavily on Wehby's behalf.
[38] In late September, Wehby refused an invitation to participate with Merkley in a televised debate on October 23, which was to be hosted by KGW TV and The Oregonian.
[42] Wehby describes herself as "personally pro-life,"[7] and has taken moderate positions on abortion and same-sex marriage, stating that the federal government should not be involved in those issues.
However, as support dwindled towards the end of 2015, The PAC shut down[53] and following weeks of speculation, she put out a statement pulling out of the race and stating that she wanted to focus on her practice as a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.
Monica Wehby, elected as District 7 President on April 30, was found ineligible due to a bylaw adopted in 2023, requiring candidates to have been regular members for the preceding two years.
The district leadership announced plans for a special electronic election to fill both positions, with nominations to be open for two weeks, but the final date to be determined.