No, not Dr. Ben Carson. He’s not the only conservative pediatric neurosurgeon who is interested in running for office.
Monica Wehby, a Portland based pediatric neurosurgeon, formally threw her hat into the ring, Tuesday, joining a several other Republicans who hope to unseat U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
The Oregonian reported the news, this morning:
Wehby said she’s driven to run for Senate in order to correct what she sees as a decline in opportunity for the young thanks to the fallout of the Great Recession.
But it’s her background as a doctor that will likely define Wehby’s candidacy. In 2004 Wehby was the chief petitioner of Ballot Measure 35, which would have limited non-economic damages in medical lawsuits. Voters narrowly defeated the measure, but Wehby has remained active in medical policy circles and serves on the board of the American Medical Association.
Wehby, a critic of Obama’s “signature achievement” ObamaCare, said that the weaknesses in the law are becoming apparent as it is being rolled out.
She will be announcing her candidacy at 2:00 p.m. Pacific.
The ultimate winner in the Republican primary will face Merkeley, who reportedly has “already amassed a campaign war-chest worth $2.2 million.”
Here is Wehby’s announcement video: