Terry McAuliffe, longtime President Clinton confidante, entrepreneur, and one-time candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2009, has wasted no time declaring his intentions for 2013:
“I realize that after any election some people’s immediate question is about the next campaign. I want to be straightforward with you: I plan on running for Governor of Virginia in 2013.”
McAuliffe is the first Democrat to throw his hat into the ring. It is expected that U.S. Senator and former Governor Mark Warner will decide if he is running for the nomination by Thanksgiving.
Both McAuliffe and Warner have amassed personal fortunes and aren’t afraid to spend during a campaign. If Warner does decide to run, it should make for a very interesting race.
In McAuliffe’s letter to supporters, he focused on making the election process more efficient, encouraging the political parties in Washington to work on taxes, spending and the deficit (which could be an opening salvo against Warner for being ineffective), and in Virginia, to prioritize our efforts on economic growth, not on “political issues that are designed to divide us.”