Naveed Aziz for NC House

Team Aziz!

Team Aziz!!!

Endorsement Alert! So proud to announce that our campaign has been endorsed by Lillians’List!

Endorsement Alert! We are so proud to announce that our campaign is endorsed by Progressive Caucus of NC Democratic Party!

https://www.fayobserver.com/story/opinion/2022/06/03/spring-lake-nc-doctor-gun-deaths-should-studied-like-other-public-health-hazards/7492589001/

Medical doctor: Gun deaths should be studied like other public health hazards The difference between gun violence and both HIV and car crashes is one of data. Things can’t get better if we don’t even know how bad they are now.

The Fayetteville Observer asked me, "How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?"

My answer: I am not satisfied with the state of our K-12 education.

NC schools rank 33 out of the 50 states. Our teacher compensation is so low that they have to work two jobs just to pay their bills.

In our school system, there is only one psychologist for every 2,162 students, which is unacceptable, especially during COVID-19 and post-COVID times, and there is only one nurse per 1,000 students. We need to give students the resources to succeed and that includes health and mental health resources.

I believe that every child is born with equal potential and deserves equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of color, race or zip code, but there is an opportunity gap between affluent and low-income school districts.

It's now been a quarter-century since the N.C. Supreme Court ruled in the Leandro case that lawmakers are violating the constitutional rights of thousands of N.C. students by failing to provide them with access to a sound, basic education. We have an annual state surplus of about $5 billion.

When elected to office, I will start by strongly advocating to allocate the needed funds to help our public schools for their safe infrastructure, increasing teachers' compensation and bringing more nurses and psychologists to help our vulnerable children. Our children are our future and to safeguard and improve our future economy, we need to invest in our children.

Vote in the Democratic Primary on May 17th!

A question from the Fayetteville Observer: "What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?"

My answer: Economists believe that the economy depends on four factors: Innovation, labor hours, labor quality and capital deepening. We have some of the best universities in the world and the Research Triangle is unparalleled in research and development.

While the economy of certain areas like the Triangle for IT and the Charlotte area for banking sectors is very hot, our rural areas are being neglected. We need to invest in effective transportation and broadband access to rural areas. This will encourage entrepreneurship and provide people with access to remote healthcare and education.

Half of our workforce is women and many of them are single mothers. We need to invest in our pre-K program for 3 and 4 years old and enhanced child care for our working families. When child care is not available or is very expensive, women cannot participate in the workforce, leading to reduced family income and to lower social and cognitive outcomes for children.

Economists look at investments in human capital and early childhood development (ECD) as means to increase lifelong productivity. Higher levels of education and better skills lead to better lifelong productivity, and investments in ECD have the highest economic return.

Healthy individuals will lead to a healthier economy. Medicaid expansion will not only lead to healthier individuals but will also bring our tax dollars and federal funds to our state.

We need to invest in our ports and make them more competitive with those of Virginia and South Carolina so that we can capture market share of the export and shipping industries. Businesses from Western parts of our state use the port of Charleston, South Carolina, because they can use Interstate 77 and Interstate 26, whereas there is no major interstate connecting Charlotte with Wilmington. We need to connect all modes of transportation. This is extremely important because we need to develop a diverse economy, which includes well-paying blue-collar jobs in construction, transportation and manufacturing. We want to create an economy with a large and powerful middle class that can create sustained growth and that can provide good jobs to people at all education levels.

We need to bring the film industry back to Wilmington, which would create jobs and lay the foundation for an innovation-based entertainment economy.

The post-COVID 19 decrease in the workforce and the market disruptions posed by Artificial Intelligence and automation will bring future challenges. We need to invest in R&D, equal access to education and the distribution of economic growth to all parts of North Carolina.

Is there a Doctor in the House?

Vote in the Democratic Primary on May 17th!

The Fayetteville Observer asked me, "Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?"

Here was my response:

Yes. I am a very strong advocate of Medicaid expansion because I have seen, first-hand, the consequences of not expanding it.

I run a free clinic at my office and have seen many patients suffering from complications from diseases that could have been easily prevented if they had had access to healthcare earlier. For example, diabetes, if not treated early, can lead to amputations, blindness and renal failure.

If we expand Medicaid in this state, 500,000 North Carolinians will get access to lifesaving, life-changing health care. Medicaid expansion will save lives, save our rural hospitals, save money and generate jobs throughout our state.

In our current system, many child-bearing age women lack health care coverage unless they get pregnant. This limits access to preventive care like screening for high blood pressure, weight loss programs to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and substance abuse counseling.

These services would not only reduce risk factors for poor pregnancy and birth outcomes but would save money for the state. For example, the average first-year medical cost for a preterm infant is $32,325 vs. $3,325 for a full term infant.

Medicaid expansion would save money for the state and its citizens. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Ayanian and his colleagues at the University of Michigan argue that Medicaid expansion also helps state budgets. States spend less on the expanded Medicaid programs such as mental health and correctional health programs. Michigan state decreased its annual state spending for such programs by $235 million.

For so many years North Carolina tax money has been going to states that have expanded Medicaid while our rural hospitals are being shut down. Medicaid expansion will not only bring our tax dollars back home but will bring federal dollars to our economy, stimulating spending and generating jobs. Medicaid expansion brought 29,000 new jobs in one year to Michigan and is projected to bring $153 million annually in new tax revenue.

In addition to being board-certified in Internal Medicine I have dual masters in business administration and health administration. I am a mother and a small business owner. If I am elected to represent my district I will be a strong advocate for Medicaid expansion. I have the knowledge, the skills, and the resolve to do what makes sense for the people of our state.

When elected, I will work to convince my colleagues that expanding Medicaid is not a Democrat/Republican or a liberal/conservative issue. It's about saving lives, saving money and generating jobs, things that we can all get behind.

Vote in the Democratic primary by May 17th!

I am honored to be supported by local union workers. As a doctor, I know how important it is to be safe on and off the job. We must continue the fight to expand healthcare, raise the minimum wage, and create opportunities for workers and entrepreneurs.

Today is the LAST day of early voting! Vote in the Democratic primary by 3:00 today or on Tuesday, May 17th!

So honored to be endorsed by NCAAT!

Naveed Aziz for State House Endorsements As North Carolinians, we need leaders who are willing to lead with principle and fight to make our state more equitable, prosperous, and safe. Protecting our communities requires policy solutions that will move Asian Americans and North Carolinians as a whole forward. NCAAT in Action wo...

Ranking Factors
How Spring Lake Middle placed statewide out of 693 schools ranked in North Carolina.

Reading Proficiency Rank

#606 (tie)
Math Proficiency Rank

#635. Test Scores at Spring Lake Middle
At Spring Lake Middle, 15% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 28% scored at or above that level for reading.
Compared with the district, the school did worse in math and worse in reading, according to this metric. In Cumberland County Schools, 39% of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 31% tested at or above that level for math.
Spring Lake Middle did worse in math andworse in reading in this metric compared with students across the state. In North Carolina, 42% of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 38% tested at or above that level for math.

I will fight for Health Care for all!

Sleep deficiency can lead to physical and mental health problems. It can lead to cardiovascular problems, depression and decreased productivity! This is National Women Wellness Week!

I grew up in a small town without running water and little opportunity. ​I took what chances I had and eventually became a doctor.

When my daughter was born, I knew I wanted to raise her in a place with greater freedom and opportunity. I was delighted when we were allowed to move to the United States and my family settled in North Carolina. We've been here for twenty five years now, where I have the privilege of serving patients in Spring Lake and across Cumberland County

Running a free clinic and a small business, chairing the Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce, and serving on the boards of Second Harvest Food Bank, Fayetteville Urban Ministry, and the Economic Development Corporation of Spring Lake, I have seen up close the struggles so many of us face. Whether it's my older patients who have to choose between paying for their medicine or buying food, or young mothers working three jobs but still can't make ends meet, too many North Carolinians are being left behind.

I'm running to change that. To fight for pathways for success from pre-kindergarten through college or trade school. To stand against politicians who still refuse to fully expand Medicaid and are threatening access to abortion and birth control. To bring investment in jobs that work back to our district. To improve transit connections and shorten commute times. To tackle the opioid crisis, mass incarceration, and pollution of our water and air. To make the American Dream real once again.

Early voting is going on now through May 14 and Election Day is May 17. Find your polling place at https://iwillvote.com/