McAuliffe running for governor—unless Warner runs

RICHMOND Va.— Democrat Terry McAuliffe will run for governor next year—as long as U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., does not.

“If Mark runs, I’d be the first guy to endorse him. Let’s have no ifs, ands or buts about it,” McAuliffe said today in an interview.

McAuliffe said he’s planning for the eventuality of a run, but added that Warner “has left the door open a little bit” and he’ll wait for it to be closed before jumping in.

Meantime, McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman who unsuccessfully ran for governor three years ago, is busy laying the groundwork for a campaign next year while focusing on his businesses and this year’s elections.

Since losing the nomination battle to Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, in 2009, McAuliffe has founded two businesses—GreenTech Automotive, an electric-car manufacturer, and Franklin Pellets, a wood pellet manufacturer – both of which have created jobs and a storyline he thinks will resonate in a gubernatorial bid.

He soon hopes to open a wood pellet plant, a renewable source of energy to substitute for coal, on the site of the former International Paper mill in Isle of Wight County.

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