 Most recently, Terry McAuliffe served as the Chairman of the Hillary Clinton for Presidential Campaign from 2007 to 2008. He is also the New York Times and Washington Post bestselling author of the book "What A Party! My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators, and Other Wild Animals."
At an early age, Terry McAuliffe started a driveway maintenance company, earning money for contributions to the campaigns of candidates he thought could make a difference. That passion led to establishing more than two-dozen companies in the fields of banking, insurance, marketing, and real estate, rebuilding and revitalizing the Democratic Ticket. After graduating from Catholic University, Terry McAuliffe served as the finance chairman of the Carter-Mondale reelection committee. Establishing himself as a proven wrangler of donor support, he was appointed national finance chairman of the Gephardt for President Committee, national finance chairman, and national co-chairman of the Clinton-Gore reelection committee.
McAuliffe served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from February 2001-February 2005. He is widely credited with rebuilding, reenergizing and revitalizing the Party, using new state of the art technology to connect grassroots activists with the Party's new information infrastructure.
Under Chairman McAuliffe's tenure, for the first time in Democratic Party history, the DNC was debt free and out raised the RNC. The DNC shattered all records by raising over $535 million. This success enabled the party to fund an unprecedented political campaign recruiting over 25,000 trained field precinct captains, conducting 530 organizing conventions across the country, mobilizing 233,000 volunteers, knocking on 11 million doors and making 38 million volunteer phone calls and 56 million paid calls.
Additionally, from 2001-2005, the DNC contributed more to state parties, House, Senate, Governors', Mayors' and local races than in any other time in history. Chairman McAuliffe's strategic vision produced a new headquarters, and created a computer database of more than 2.7 million grassroots donors, increased email addresses from 70,000 to over 4 million and built a database of more than 175 million individuals.
The life of the party
His tenacity proved especially impacting after the 2000 election, when the Democratic party was bankrupt and decades behind the times in acquiring voter and donor lists. Pressing state chairmen to give up exclusive control of their voter lists, Terry McAuliffe invested millions in a new headquarters, gambling that the party could mount a challenge to the wealthy GOP and its peerless fundraising efforts. 
Every high-risk tactic paid off. The Democratic National Committee built an extensive voter roster, enabling the party to develop a strong direct-mail donor list. And, the DNC's new headquarters and infrastructure enabled their operation to utilize the Internet and modern facilities -- producing state-of-the-art telecommunications and public relations media. While chairman of the DNC, Terry McAuliffe raised over $535 million dollars, shattering all previous records for funds raised by either party. Under Chairman McAuliffe's tenure, for the first time in Democratic Party history, the DNC was debt free and out-raised the RNC.
Party animals
Terry McAuliffe gained national attention during the presidential election of 1980 when he wrestled an alligator to raise $15,000 dollars in funds. Since that feat, he has continued to demonstrate a drive and commitment that have helped elect Democrats for more than 25 years.
Terry McAuliffe's New York Times and Washington Post best-selling first book, titled What a Party!: My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators and Other Wild Animals was released in January  2007, to rave reviews from critics and insiders on both ends of the political spectrum. (Link to reviews page on Whataparty.us site)
McAuliffe has been a successful entrepreneur since he started his first business, McAuliffe Driveway Maintenance, when he was only 14 years old. He is an attorney, having received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, and is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and the United States Supreme Court. He has successfully started over two-dozen companies in the fields of banking, insurance, marketing and real estate. Mr. McAuliffe served as Chairman of Federal City National Bank at the age of 30, and most recently was an owner and Chairman of American Heritage Homes, converting a struggling company into one of Florida's leading home builders, building approximately 1,000 homes a year. Terry McAuliffe is married to the former Dorothy Swann, and they have five children. The family lives in McLean, Virginia.
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