Ore. Senate candidate Wehby features patient in new ad

Oregon Republican Senate candidate Monica Wehby features a patient whose child she helped as a pediatric neurosurgeon in a new emotional television ad.

{mosads}The ad, titled “Trust,” runs a minute long and highlights the story of Lexi Liebelt from Gresham, Ore., whose daughter needed reconstructive surgery on her spinal cord shortly after she was born. In the ad, Liebelt tells the story of how Wehby helped her daughter that day.

“She just hugged me and kissed my forehead and she said, ‘It’s gonna be OK sweetheart. I’ve got her and I’m gonna see you in a couple hours,’ ” Liebelt recounts. “I gave her the most precious thing I had. I trusted her.”

A shot of Liebelt’s daughter, now 12, flashes on the screen, with Wehby brushing her hair from her face, as Liebelt touts the candidate for Senate.

“Dr. Wehby would make an incredible senator. She will always do the right thing. She will act with integrity. All of Washington needs to be full of people like Dr. Wehby,” she says.

It’s the latest in a spate of new ads from Wehby in her race against Sen. Jeff Merkley (D), and will run statewide on broadcast and cable through the May 20 primary, according to her campaign.

She’s facing three other candidates in the GOP primary and is vying with state Rep. Jason Conger for the frontrunner mantle, but national Republicans are excited about her candidacy and have touted her chances in the race.

Though Oregon is a deep-blue state, Republicans believe Merkley could be vulnerable because of frustration with ObamaCare and the state exchange in Oregon.

An internal poll out this week from Merkley’s campaign showed the senator up 16 percentage points over Conger and 20 percentage points over Wehby.

A Republican survey out earlier this month gave Merkley a 12-point lead over Wehby and a 7-point lead over Conger.