Updates: Monica Wehby for U.S. Senate

Recent updates from the campaign of Dr. Monica Wehby

1. Newt Gingrich Endorses Dr. Monica Wehby ~ Dr. Monica Wehby for U.S. Senate

Today, I am proud to announce my support for Dr. Monica Wehby on her campaign for U.S. Senate in Oregon.

Dr. Wehby is a critical thinker, a problem solver who can articulate conservative principles and bring new ideas to Washington. We need candidates like her, outsiders with proven leadership abilities, to move our country towards a more prosperous future. Dr. Wehby will be a real asset to the U.S. Senate, especially when it comes to restoring our healthcare system to a patient centered, market based approach. Dr. Wehby is the kind of candidate who can win, even in a state like Oregon.

If you haven’t done so already, check out her new TV ad called, “Trust,” which many people are calling the best political ad of 2014, by clicking here. It’s an inspiring story, and exactly the sort of innovative, and positive message that Republicans need to put forward in order to win in 2014.

Newt

2. As Voting Begins, Wehby Poised to Win ~ Dr. Monica Wehby for U.S. Senate

Voting by mail begins this week in Oregon, and as we head into the final stretch of the campaign, I wanted to give you all an update on the state of the race. Dr. Monica Wehby has stacked up some sizable advantages in this primary in terms of fundraising, endorsements, paid media, earned media, social media, race analysis and grassroots. All signs show that Dr. Monica Wehby is the only credible candidate in this race and is in the best position to win Oregon’s Republican primary.

Morale is extremely high here at Wehby headquarters. Momentum is solidly behind Dr. Wehby’s candidacy thanks to all of your support. We’re not taking one day for granted, and we’ll be working harder than ever as we head into the final weeks. Please take a moment to read below on why Wehby is going to win in May, and has the best shot at beating Merkley in November.

FUNDRAISING: Dr. Monica Wehby’s campaign is crushing the Conger campaign in fundraising with a $1.1 million to $277k advantage. Conger only raised $64,000 in Q1 and spent $149,000. Even more devastating for the Conger campaign is their very low cash on hand number, and a burn rate that is astronomical considering they have not yet made any significant media buys (TV, radio) or voter contact programs (mailers).

Cash On Hand:
Jason Conger has around $59,000 left in his campaign account to spend on the primary.  His report lists $89,000 but around $30,000 of that money is general election donations and can not be used in the primary.

Burn Rate:
Jason Conger is burning almost $30,000 more than he takes in per month. He spent almost $60,000 in the last three months on consultants alone.  If that rate remains steady, and it is likely to increase, his campaign will be insolvent by Election Day on May 20^th.

Oregonian: “Jason Conger Sees Big Drop in Fundraising in GOP Senate Race”

ENDORSEMENTS: This week the Oregonian and the Portland Tribune endorsed Dr. Monica Wehby, the only papers to make endorsements in the primary thus far. Both papers stressed Dr. Wehby’s outsider status, her credibility on health care, and her being the only realistic candidate to compete against Sen. Merkley this Fall.
–Oregonian Endorsement
–Portland Tribune Endorsement

PAID MEDIA: Dr. Wehby is the only candidate that has an active paid media campaign. We have been up on radio and on television for the past two weeks and that ad campaign will increase over the next three weeks. We will also be employing a substantial direct mail campaign that will reach hundreds of thousands of Oregon Republicans. Judging by the fundraising numbers, Dr. Wehby is likely to remain the only candidate with an active paid media campaign during this primary.
TV AD: “It’s Not Brain Surgery
TV AD: “Trust”
RADIO AD: “The Only Candidate”

EARNED MEDIA: In addition to our newspaper endorsements, last week our campaign dominated the earned media front across local and national outlets. The only earned media from last week solely about Jason Conger was the story about how poorly he did in fundraising.
Washington Post: “Distinguished Pol of the Week”
Wall Street Journal: “Wehby Ad In Oregon Wins Plaudits”
Oregonian: “Wehby Ad Wins National Attention As She Flexes Money Lead”
Washington Examiner: “This Ad From GOP Senate Candidate Monica Wehby Will Make You Cry”

SOCIAL MEDIA: Dr. Wehby maintains leads over her primary opponents across all social media platforms. Dr. Wehby has the most Facebook likes, twice as many twitter followers as her nearest competitor, and twenty times as many total you-tube channel hits.  Our latest TV ad, “Trust,” did very well in online viewership, garnering over 80,000 hits in less than a week. Our previous web ad “Keep Your Doctor – Change Your Senator” has over 30,000 hits.
WEB AD: “Keep Your Doctor – Change Your Senator”
WEB AD: “A New Voice”

RACE ANALYSIS: The major race handicappers, including the Cook Political Report, The Rothenberg Political Report, and Crystal Ball have all noted that Dr. Monica Wehby has the best shot out of all the GOP candidates at beating Jeff Merkley.

Jennifer Duffy, of the Cook Political Report: “If Wehby wins the primary, she said, she’ll likely move the race up in her ratings.” “Merkley, she said, could be in greater jeopardy if Wehby wins the May primary.
“She’s a moderate,” Duffy said. “She’s very articulate. She’s a physician. And she understands this stuff.”

Rothenberg Political Report: “If Conger is the nominee, this race probably moves from long-shot to no-shot for the GOP.”

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball (As featured in the NYT): “Senator Jeff Merkley could be in for a tougher-than-expected race in deep-blue Oregon if a Portland pediatric neurosurgeon, Monica Wehby, wins the Republican nomination. She is a moderate who could resonate with Oregonians suffering from Obama fatigue.”

GRASSROOTS: We’ve spent months recruiting and training volunteers. Over the next few weeks, Team Monica will deploy over 300 volunteers to knock on doors, make phone calls, and remind their friends and neighbors to fill out and return their ballot.

3. Obamacare in Oregon Isn’t Working ~ Dr. Monica Wehby for U.S. Senate

Portland, OR: On April 24th, Dr. Monica Wehby released the following statement after the announcement that Oregon is likely to be abandoning the failed state exchange to go onto the failed federal exchange.

Statement From Dr. Monica Wehby:

“I am the only U.S. Senate candidate who has opposed Obamacare, and Cover Oregon from day one. This latest move to the federal exchange still doesn’t solve the root of the problem, Obamacare is bad for Oregon.

As a pediatric neurosurgeon, I’m trained to treat problems, whereas politicians are trained to treat symptoms. We need to treat the root of this problem, that one-size fits all, government run healthcare is not working.

That is why I have put forward an Obamacare replacement plan that will work towards providing access to care that truly is affordable. You can view my plan at http://www.monicafororegon.com/issues/health-care/.”

4. One Of The Best Political Ads Ever Made ~ Dr. Monica Wehby for U.S. Senate

“This Ad From GOP Senate Candidate Monica Wehby Will Make You Cry.”- Washington Examiner

Yesterday, our campaign released a TV ad which is being called, “one of the best political ads ever made.”

It has also been described as, “a hammer of a campaign ad,” “powerful,” “tastefully done,” “pure dynamite,” “must watch,” “the most compelling pro-life ad I’ve seen,” and a “moving spot.” Although the most common description of this heartwarming political ad is that it will, “make you cry.”

The ad tells the story of Lexi Liebelt and her struggle to bring her unborn daughter into this world, and how Dr. Monica Wehby gave her hope and guidance in that endeavor. You can watch this powerful ad, “Trust,” by clicking here.

To hear more about what people are saying about this ad, see below:

This Ad From GOP Senate Candidate Monica Wehby Will Make You Cry

This is a Sockdolager of a Campaign Ad from Dr. Monica Wehby

GOP Candidate Plays Up Medicine in New TV Ad