Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger Joins Reproductive Freedom Alliance

Today, Governor Abigail Spanberger announced that Virginia has officially joined the Reproductive Freedom Alliance (RFA), a nonpartisan coalition of governors committed to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom across the United States.

Founded after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, RFA equips governors with the tools to protect and expand access to reproductive health care, defend the rights of patients and providers, and advance state policies to safeguard reproductive freedom. 

Virginia is a vital anchor for reproductive health care access and protection in the region, and Governor Spanberger has already signed bills that improve and expand health care coverage for Virginia mothers, codify the right to contraception, and protect access to birth control in her first legislative session as Governor. As a member of RFA, Governor Spanberger will continue to ensure the Commonwealth remains a frontline defender, leveraging Alliance resources to protect access to abortion care, contraception, and fertility treatment, against mounting threats and supporting the heath of mothers and families.

“As we approach the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision, we continue to see states enact bans on reproductive healthcare, abortion services, and fertility treatments that jeopardize the rights and endanger the safety of women across the country,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “Virginia is the only state in the South where a woman has the same freedom to make her own healthcare decisions as she did before the fall of Roe v. Wade. Today, we are taking a step to reaffirm those freedoms. As part of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, I will continue doing everything in my power to preserve the rights of Virginians seeking reproductive care and making sure families across our Commonwealth can continue making their own personal healthcare decisions.”

As a member of the Alliance, Governor Spanberger joins a network of governors representing more than 180 million Americans that facilitates cross-state coordination and learning to ensure reproductive health care remains safe, legal, and accessible.

“We are excited to welcome Governor Spanberger and Virginia as our 24th member of the Alliance,” said Christina Chang, Executive Director of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance. “Governor Spanberger has shown a steadfast commitment to advancing reproductive freedom since her inauguration, and her participation only strengthens our united front against the rising tide of attacks on our rights. Virginia’s entry into the Alliance signals a proactive approach to protecting the health and dignity of its citizens while serving as a model for reproductive health access in the south and across the country.”

Since its inception, the governors of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance have deployed every tool available to protect health care access and defend reproductive freedom for millions. For example, RFA states have stockpiled more than 350,000 doses of mifepristone to safeguard access to medication abortion amid ongoing threats. Today, 20 Alliance states boast robust shield laws protecting patients, providers, and health data, while 11 states have expanded coverage for new over-the-counter contraceptives to reduce barriers to family planning.

Most recently, the Alliance mobilized a unified response to a federal lawsuit targeting access to mifepristone by mail. By pushing back against junk-science rulings that impact more than a quarter of all abortion patients, RFA governors continue to champion the safety of medication abortion and fight to maintain uninterrupted access to essential care.