Dr. Babur Lateef for Lt. Governor of Virginia

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ISSUES

The role of Virginia’s Lt. Governor is to preside over the Virginia Senate and cast tie-breaking votes. Additionally, the Lt. Governor sits on about a half-dozen Boards and Commissions throughout the year. It’s crucial Virginia has a Lt. Governor who is dedicated to expanding our Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, as well as fighting for the issues that matter most. Dr. Lateef is committed to using creative solutions and public-private partnerships to implement these types of programs without burdening taxpayers. Dr. Lateef’s top issues include:

PROTECTING VIRGINIA’S ECONOMIC ENGINE & OUR WORKERS

Northern Virginia accounts for 40% of the state’s revenue. With federal cuts looming, thousands of NoVa jobs are on the line. Our communities are at risk of bottoming out, and Dr. Lateef is the only Lt. Governor candidate who has been elected in NoVa. He currently represents about a half-million constituents in a locality three times the size of a state Senate district, and he’s received more votes than any other candidate in the race. Dr. Babur Lateef understands the issues facing our NoVa communities that support funding for programs across Virginia. 

Many of the federal workforce cuts are being done in a way that prevents workers from receiving unemployment benefits or joining the state healthcare exchange. As Lt. Governor, Babur would act on Day 1 to change Virginia’s Unemployment Insurance program to cover all federal workers being targeted by these cuts. Babur also will vote to repeal archaic union-busting laws like Virginia’s so-called ‘Right to Work’ law so workers can get the protections they need. 

Babur has a long history of being committed to the labor movement. His father served in the faculty union at Youngstown State University for over 40 years, and Babur joined his local grocery store when he was home for his college summer breaks. Babur’s commitment to labor has played out:

In his private ophthalmology practice and small business:

  • All employees have fully paid healthcare plans.
  • Positions are paid higher-than-market rates, allowing his team to keep a loyal, long-term, highly talented staff. Babur believes this is one of the reasons he’s continued to be named a “Top Doctor” in both the Washington Magazine and the Northern Virginia Magazine for the last 15 years in a row.

At the University of Virginia, where he served on the Board of Visitors from 2016 to 2024:

  • Raised the minimum wage for all Virginia employees to $15 in 2017 while asking all contractors to abide by a $15 per hour minimum wage.
  • Addressed wage theft on construction and capital improvement projects at the university, which has one of the largest capital budgets in the state.

As Chairman of the Prince William County School Board, where he’s served since 2018:

MAKING THE SURPLUS WORK FOR VIRGINIANS, OR GIVE IT BACK

Every year, Virginia runs a multi-billion-dollar surplus. Meanwhile, the task of funding schools falls in the hands of local governments who rely on real estate and personal property taxes. Despite the soaring surpluses, Virginia’s General Assembly has continually pushed for predatory gambling to bolster the state’s coffers through measures like a Tysons casino and so-called “skill game” machines in corner stores. With the state running massive surpluses each year, it’s clear that Virginians don’t need tax revenue from predatory gambling operations in grocery stores or near our children’s schools. We also don’t need a casino that’s opposed by the local community. Babur is the only elected Lt. Governor candidate who would vote NO on a NoVa casino and predatory gambling.

Similarly, Virginia’s regressive Car Tax is the highest in the nation. The Car Tax is a tax on getting to work, a tax on spending time with our families, and it’s a tax that was already paid when we bought our cars. Babur will work with the legislature to use that money to fully fund our public schools or repeal the Car Tax through a constitutional amendment.

OUR HEALTH & WELLNESS

As a medical doctor with experience delivering babies in high-risk pregnancies, Babur knows the stakes are high for reproductive freedom. As Lt. Governor, he would support the constitutional amendment guaranteeing reproductive healthcare access for all Virginians. 

Babur is a longtime eye surgeon and one of the few in the region who accepts all Medicaid patients. With high costs of living, Babur will fight to expand Medicaid coverage for hardworking Virginians so we can get the healthcare we need before emergencies happen. 

SCHOOLS & HIGHER ED

The next generation of Virginians are at a crisis point: mental health issues are skyrocketing, social media addiction plagues our schools, and our kids’ chances of owning a home are more daunting than ever before. As Chairman of Prince William County’s School Board, Babur tackled the youth mental health crisis with Virginia’s first pilot program for tele-mental healthcare access. The program costs roughly $15 per student and had a dramatic impact, significantly reducing chronic absenteeism, depression, and anxiety. As Lt. Governor, Babur would support legislation scaling up programs like this so our kids can thrive at school. 

Virginia’s outdated funding formula long overburdened local governments with school funding responsibilities. Compared to the national average, Virginia students receive about $1,900 less each annually in school funding. Removing support caps for school funding and moving Virginia to the top for school funding will be a priority for Babur as Lt. Governor. 

For kids heading to college, it’s crucial that students capitalize on scholarship funding. As Chairman of Prince William County Schools, Babur oversaw huge increases in high school senior scholarships from $20 million four years ago to $120 million today. For kids who aren’t heading to college, Babur prioritized creating opportunities for trade skill development. As Lt. Governor, we can count on him to continue these programs that result in real dollars in real pockets of real people.

MAKING HOUSING AFFORDABLE AGAIN

The median first-time homebuyer has reached an all-time high age of 38 years old, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report. Virginia’s next Lt. Governor will serve from 2026-2030. During those four years, a top priority for Babur will be to deliver “Home by 30” opportunities and substantially increase home ownership for all Virginians. Hardworking families deserve the opportunity to own their own home by age 30, and we must make this a reality by 2030.

Previous generations of Americans could purchase their own home by the age of 30. The recent trend has caused delays for people to have children, build equity, and be healthy. One analysis noted: “First-time home buyers dropped to the lowest historical share since data collection began in 1981. For first-time buyers, required household incomes rose by $26,000 in the past two years. Both first-time and repeat buyers had all-time highs for their age groups. The share of buyers who have children under 18 in the home dropped to a historic low of 27% from a high of 58% in 1985.”

We must restore the opportunity for home ownership to young people, and Babur will make this a top priority. His “Home by 30” plan includes:

  • Prohibit hedge funds, equity firms, and non-U.S. entities from buying homes.
  • Tax relief for primary residence expenses beyond mortgage interest deductions.
  • Streamline affordable housing trust fund appropriations and interest rate transference.
  • Expand renewable energy credits and incentives for rooftop solar.
  • Down payment assistance, including penalty-free account conversions for individuals.
  • Convene a buyer-side task force and deliver actionable policies from the findings.

Housing affordability includes making rent more accessible. During his time as Chairman of the University of Virginia’s Health System Board, the university took an active role in this by creating a public-private partnership to address housing shortages. University properties were leased out to housing developers who had to rent the finished units at least 25% below market value. That program led to more affordable housing for nurses and healthcare staffers. These types of programs are what Babur would advocate for and scale up to help Viginians live in the communities where they work.