Despite Drama, Oregon GOP Choice Comes Down To Purity, Practicality

By Chris Lehman

Published May 21, 2014 at 9:20 AM CDT

Two Republicans with compelling personal stories are vying for the chance to unseat Oregon's incumbent Democratic senator, Jeff Merkley. Monica Wehby is a doctor with a rare specialty: She performs brain surgery on kids. Her chief opponent, Jason Conger, rose from extreme poverty to attend Harvard Law School in just a few years. The Northwest News Network's Chris Lehman reports on the GOP primary as it unfolds.

Chris Lehman

Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.

See stories by Chris Lehman

Support paywall-free journalism

KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.

Donate Now