Terry McAuliffe is the ninth governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He was elected in November 2010, and began his first term on January 13, 2011. He was reelected to a second term on November 5, 2013 with 71% of the vote. The election results were certified by the Virginia State Board of Elections on January 11, 2014
McAuliffe won his third term as governor in the November 2017 election, defeating Republican nominee Ed Gillespie. McAuliffe has been a member of the Democratic Party since he was a teenager. A native of Charlottesville, he attended the University of Virginia and graduated from George Mason University School of Law. In 1980, he was elected as a city council member for Charlottesville and served as an attorney for the city from 1981 to 1988 before becoming chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1991 to 1994.
In 1994, he was elected state treasurer and served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1995 to 2001. In 2001, McAuliffe defeated incumbent governor Mark R. Warner to become governor.
He won re-election in 2006 with nearly 70% of the vote and again in 2010 with more than 70% of the vote against Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli II. McAuliffe is a graduate of Richmond's Chaminade High School and Yale University's School of Law. In 2010, he received an honorary degree from his alma mater Chaminade High School at a ceremony attended by President Barack Obama, UVA President Teresa Sullivan, and former president Bill Clinton.
The "Richmond Times-Dispatch" editorial board called McAuliffe "a good governor" who had "understood that one can be a national political figure without being a national political star." On June 19, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he intended to nominate Governor Terry McAuliffe as United States Ambassador to Japan; however, on July 9 it was reported that Governor Terry McAuliffe had withdrawn his name from consideration for this position as he felt it would be inappropriate as governor given his previous professional relationship with Michael Flynn (Trump's first national security adviser). On July 28, 2017, it was reported that Governor Terry McAuliffe had been nominated by President Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to China; however, on October 2 it was reported that Governor Terry McAuliffe had withdrawn this nomination and would not accept the position because he did not feel it would be appropriate for him to accept such an appointment while investigations continued into possible collusion between Russia and Donald Trump during his 2016 Presidential campaign or subsequent presidential
I personally believe in the power of second chances.Terry McAuliffe
I've done business with people I've met in politics, who I went to law school with, who I grew up with. Who do you do business with? People you meet in life.Terry McAuliffe
I wake up every morning singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'Terry McAuliffe
I could never drive in a great big car; people like me because I'm a man of the people, a hustler.Terry McAuliffe
