Friends,
I’ve recently been informed that my opponent in the Democratic primary has resorted to deceitful and underhanded tactics to steal a Senate seat that she knows she can not win on the merits.
In an unbelievable abuse of the Board of Elections and the NC Court System, she has alleged that I do not live in Raeford, NC. This is outrageous.
Nearly 40 years ago, when I was a captain in the United States Air Force, my parents first approached my siblings and me with an idea. Let’s build a family home - enough space for all of us, our spouses and children, a nice place on a nice piece of land, maybe on a lake for the kids and for a little fishing.
As the eldest son and the child furthest along in career at that time I said yes. Even though I was on Active Duty then and realized it would be more than a decade before I would actually live there with my family, I went in with my parents to buy a nice piece of land, on a lake for the kids and for a little fishing.
If you know my father - and many of you do - you know he does everything “big.” And so it wasn’t overnight, but over several years, we cleared those six acres ourselves, working day and night. I spent all my leave time for many years in the Air Force on that piece of land in Raeford - clearing the land, landscaping, painting, doing whatever I could to build our “dream house” that would accommodate our large family.
Five years later, we had done it! Six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two family rooms, formal living and dining rooms and a music room because we love music. A kitchen and sunroom that look out onto the lake where we can watch the kids play and do a little fishing.
After I retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service, I finally had a chance to live full-time, in the house we’d built for our whole family. I wasn’t married then. It was just the three of us but life was good.
Fast forward a decade and I met an amazing human being. After just a few months I was deeply in love and wanted her to be my wife. But there was a catch. Would this woman, who was a rock star in her own right, be willing to move all the way to Raeford, NC to live with me and my parents?
I knew that was a big ask - my wife (to be) already owned a house - in fact she owned more than one when I met her. She was a go-getter - well established, had her own high level job, her own money and was taking care of business as we used to say. Would she trade the lifestyle she was already enjoying for a life with me (and my parents) on the lake?
Thankfully, the answer was yes! Over the first few months of our marriage, my wife sold her houses, moved in to the family house in Raeford and we began to settle into a new normal. It’s been better than I could have dreamed. My parents adore her and it’s clear that the feeling is mutual. We had a good home before, but since she’s joined the family she brings so much laughter and joy - really to all of us. You can hear her talking and laughing almost anywhere in the house and it’s clear how much my parents enjoy having us there. Sometimes I joke, I think they like you more than they like me!
My wife and I have not yet been married three years - we’re still newlyweds, if you will. The hardest part of these two plus years has been the campaigning without a doubt. When I met my wife, she had a high level job in state government, but she was still able to live her life in relative obscurity. That changed the moment she married me.
In an unfortunate coincidence, I have had to run two campaigns against Dr. Naveed Aziz in the first three years of my marriage. Her incredible dirty tactics and underhanded tricks wear on my wife more than anybody.
Claiming I don’t live in Raeford is an old trick that Dr. Aziz tried last time also. In 2016 she accused me of living in Raleigh. In 2016 she ALSO accused me of living Johnston County. She accused me of living in Raleigh and Vander - both of them - just this week! It's nonsense.
She drags my wife and my parents into every election campaign, because she can’t win on the merits.
She accuses me (and Gov. Cooper) of discriminating against people of other races, ethnicities and faith traditions, because she can’t win on the merits.
She accepts money from from wealthy Republicans to help her slander me and my family - because she can’t win on the merits.
She brazenly lies about my voting record - because she can’t win on the merits.
She hides her hand and persuades other people to lie on me - because she can’t win on the merits.
She misleads people into believing she has Gov. Cooper’s endorsement (which Gov. Cooper flatly rejected) - because she doesn’t have a single public endorsement from an elected official in our community and she can’t win on the merits.
She changes her address with the board of elections each time she files to run for senate, because she knows she’s legally ineligible to run for Senate in our district, but she’s nothing but dirty tricks - and she can’t win on the merits.
She tries to steal the election - and waste time and taxpayer dollars to do so - because she can’t win on the merits.
This is my seventh Senate campaign. I’ve run against David Weinstein, Michael Walters, Billy King, Larry Shaw, Sylvia Adamczyk, Curtis Worthy, Allen Thomas and Dan Travieso. They were all tough races. They all gave me a fight. Some I won and some I lost, but they all fought honest campaigns - on the merits, on our policy disagreements - not by disparaging or maligning each other’s character or each other’s families.
Only one opponent that I’ve ever had - Dr. Naveed K. Aziz - insists on fighting from the gutter. That’s because she has no other way to win. I often ask myself, what type of person trades her integrity, mortgages her reputation and puts her character on sale for a Senate seat? Regrettably, I have my answer.
This morning, I sent the NC State Board of Elections a packet of incontrovertible evidence that demonstrates that my residence - and my home - is 603 E. Lake Ridge Rd., Raeford, NC 28376. If a formal hearing is required, I’ve asked the director to schedule it without delay so that this nonsense can be dismissed and once again my opponent will be forced to run on her record and not her dirty campaign tricks.
Over the next few days, I will be working to resolve this issue and to expose my opponent for the dishonest and underhanded person that she is. I promise you, I will clear the record and my name.
I humbly ask that you not be fooled by these tricks - don’t fall for this! I need your help and support to win on May 8th. Here’s how you can help:
Pray for my family and for me - it’s a difficult time
Contact me TODAY to get involved and help me fight this
Send a financial contribution TODAY to 603 E. Lake Ridge Rd., Raeford, NC 28376
Share this email with your friends and neighbors so they will know what we’re up against
Call on Dr. Aziz to leave my family alone and run her race on the merits
