Prince William County School Board Chair Runs For Lieutenant Governor

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — The chair of Prince William County's School Board is running for Virginia's second-highest ranking office.

Dr. Babur Lateef, a doctor and chair of the Prince William County School board, announced a campaign for lieutenant governor as a Democrat. Lateef has been with the School Board since 2018, first filling an interim position before being elected chairman in 2019.

He is also owner of Advanced Ophthalmology, Inc. in Woodbridge, is on the board of directors on Prince William County Public Schools' foundation SPARK, is on the University of Virginia's Board of Visitors and is vice chairman of the University of Virginia Health System Board. He has four children with his wife, Dr. Tarannum Lateef.

"We need capable leaders in Richmond, and my experience overseeing several of the Commonwealth’s biggest organizations, while prioritizing health care access and affordability, and managing pandemic response has prepared me for this moment," Lateef said in a campaign announcement video. "As the next Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, I will work to defend reproductive rights, lower costs for working families, create jobs, expand access to healthcare, and ensure equal opportunity for all."

Lateef received an endorsement from former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

"I have called upon his counsel many times over the last 15 years. I saw how Babur fought the backward policies of the Prince William County Supervisors in 2011 when few others stood up," said McAuliffe in a statement. "Babur helped ensure his County turned blue from top to bottom in 2019. I have also watched Babur fight relentlessly for Prince William County families as their School Board Chair for the last six years."

The next gubernatorial election, which includes the lieutenant governor position, will happen in 2025. Virginia's gubernatorial elections happen the year after presidential elections. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is not eligible to run, as governors cannot serve consecutive terms in Virginia.

More information about Lateef's campaign is available at lateefforva.com.