Governor Spanberger, Keep That Same Energy

Virginia just made history — and maybe, just maybe, hope. Abigail Spanberger wasn’t just the first woman elected to become Virginia’s governor, but also the first to walk onto that victory stage and do something rare for an incoming politician: she called out Big Pharma.

In her victory speech, she said, “We’re going to crack down on predatory pharmaceutical practices and surprise billing.” That’s not campaign fluff. Those are fighting words — especially in a state where the drug industry recently pledged $120 million in “investment” through new research and manufacturing facilities. Translation: they’ve already unpacked their briefcases in Richmond.

To be clear, the industry didn’t make that pledge out of love for the Old Dominion. It’s a power play. A preemptive strike before the new governor even sits down. AstraZeneca, PhRMA, and others are already positioning themselves as “job creators” and “innovators,” hoping those shiny press releases will make lawmakers forget the billions they’ve extracted from American patients.

Spanberger’s track record in Congress tells us she’s no pushover — she’s backed bipartisan reforms to lower drug prices and took heat from both parties for calling out the industry’s lobbying stranglehold. But governing a state is different. The same companies she’s promising to hold accountable are about to flood her administration with lobbyists, donation offers, and “friendly partnerships” dressed up as economic development.

The big question: will she stay loud when the cameras leave?

Virginia’s legislature will almost certainly revisit creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) — a tool other states have used to cap runaway drug prices. Twice, it passed with bipartisan support. Twice, it was vetoed. Now, with Spanberger in charge, it could finally become law. And you can bet Big Pharma’s going to throw everything it has at killing it again.

So, credit where it’s due: Governor-elect Spanberger said the right thing. She named the problem — the industry that treats human life like a profit margin. But words fade fast in politics.

The Pharma Accountability Project will be here for the long haul — to track every bill, every lobbying disclosure, and every corporate “investment” that comes with strings attached.

Governor Spanberger, you promised Virginians you’d take on predatory pharmaceutical practices. We’re rooting for you to mean it.