Senate candidate Cheri Beasley talks drug prices, abortion, campaign at Gastonia pharmacy

Democrat Cheri Beasley sat down this month at a Gastonia pharmacy with advocates of lowering prescription drug prices as she campaigns to flip the U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina.

The former chief justice of North Carolina's Supreme Court mostly listened as seven people talked about their struggles to pay for medications for serious diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer.

"We all have our stories," Donnamarie Woodson, a north Charlotte resident and two-time cancer survivor, told Beasley Sept. 16 as the eight of them sat in a circle. "I'm trying not to just sit here and burst out in tears."

Beasley's visit to Gastonia came after her major opponent, Republican Ted Budd, voted against a bill that made it into law that requires Medicare to negotiate prices with some of the more expensive prescription drug medications.

"My policy really is bring those medications down," Beasley said afterward while talking to both local media and national media, including journalists with the New York Times and CNN.

"Everybody who was here talked about very personable and for some of these folks, life-saving measures, around taking insulin and having the kind of treatment," Beasley said. "It's really quite simple that we're not allowing up-charging and that we're not allowing Big Pharma to gouge. These companies are seeing record profits."

Political-watchers have begun to pay more attention to North Carolina's Senate race as polls now consider it a toss-up less than six weeks out from Election Day. The winner could help determine which party controls the Senate.

"This is going to be a tough fight," Beasley said.

Campaign

Both Budd and Beasley have been to all 100 counties in North Carolina as they fight to replace Republican Richard Burr, who did not seek re-election.

Beasley lost her judicial re-election bid in 2000 by a total of 401 votes out of 5.3 million cast statewide, although in Gaston County she got 37.5% of the vote to Paul Newby's 62.4%.

She said talking about the issues in counties she may not have a chance to win is part of the campaign.

"Everybody's talking about making sure the next senator is going to fight hard to lower costs, from pain at the (gas) pump to prescription drug cost and everything else in between. And these are not partisan issues," Beasley said.

"These are not partisan issues. I mean if you have diabetes or you're a cancer survivor and can't afford your prescription drug costs, it doesn't matter if you're Republican, Democratic or independent," she said. "Everybody in North Carolina needs someone who's going to stand up and be a strong voice on these issues that affect everyone in this state."

Abortion

Democrats believe the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has given them a wedge issue related to abortion rights.

Budd recently signed on as a co-sponsor of legislation introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, that would ban an abortion if the "unborn child is 15 weeks or greater.” It includes exceptions for cases of rape, incest or complications due to a life-threatening pregnancy.

Budd has described himself as "100% pro life."

Beasley said she supports the "standards set forth in Roe."

"Who makes the decision, a woman and her doctor, or the government?" Beasley asked in response to a question. "And what we've known for nearly 50 years is women have had a constitutional freedom to make these decisions with their physicians without government interference.

"There is something really wrong about an absolute ban on abortion, which is what my opponent supports, without exceptions for rape or incest or risk to a mother's health."

You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-201-7016 or email him at Kellis@Gastongazette.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Senate candidate Cheri Beasley talks drug prices at Gastonia pharmacy