You got what I need

We've got just 27 days until the primary, and our campaign's momentum is growing daily. We're preparing to launch our Get-Out-the-Vote operation, which will be the largest, most sophisticated, and most targeted effort ever organized by a Virginia gubernatorial campaign. And I wanted to drop you a line and give you a quick update.

On the road with Terry

On Monday, the campaign got an injection of star power as Terry made four stops around the Commonwealth with his good friend, will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, who created the "Yes We Can" video for Barack Obama that was viewed by millions. Terry and will talked about the importance of bringing new voters into the political process, and the need to have a governor who can partner with President Obama to create the jobs of the future.

And just when you thought the day couldn't have gone any better - it did. At a blowout event in Arlington that evening, will and Terry were joined by Biz Markie, who performed a special rendition of his hip-hop classic, "Just a Friend."

We made a short video of some of the highlights - check it out:

And today and tomorrow, Terry's hitting the road with President Bill Clinton, whose economic policies led to the longest period of job growth and economic expansion in our nation's history. Terry has put forth the most comprehensive and substantive plan to create jobs in Virginia, and President Clinton will tout that plan on the stump.

New Endorsements

President Clinton and will.i.am aren't the only ones showing their support for Terry's campaign. This past week, we picked up some high profile endorsements - clear evidence that Terry's vision for Virginia is resonating. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters endorsed Terry's strong environmental record. And the momentum continued when the 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) endorsed Terry's commitment to Virginia's working families.

With Your Help

But all of this good news means nothing if we can't turn out our supporters on Election Day. And we need your help to make it happen.

We've invested in more than 50 field staffers and 14 offices across the Commonwealth (and 8 offices in NoVA alone) so that we have the necessary infrastructure to re-engage all those people who first got involved in politics with Barack Obama's historic victory last year. But we're counting on you to power the operation.

By far the single most important thing you can do to help is to come into one of our offices as we head down the home stretch. But even if you can't make it to one of our field offices, there are still other opportunities to get involved - even from your home. Volunteers are the lifeblood of a winning campaign, so please sign up to volunteer right away.

Thanks for all your support. While all the public polls show us with a double-digit lead, this race is going to tighten. It's going to come right down to the wire and we're counting on your help until the very end.

Tags: 2009, biz markie, governor, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe, va, virginia governor, will.i.am

President Clinton and Terry McAuliffe Rally for JOBS

Well over one thousand people showed up to hear President Bill Clinton and Terry McAuliffe campaign together in Richmond and Roanoke today. The weather was perfect. And the crowds were fired up.

President Clinton – who created more jobs than any other President in US history — told the audience that Terry’s experience as an entrepreneur with 13 years experience running large organizations made him best qualified to create the jobs of the future and grow Virginia’s economy.

Terry hit a home run detailing some big ideas in his Business Plan to move Virginia forward. And he explained that as someone who hasn’t been part of the partisan, legislative battles of the past, he’ll bring a fresh approach that will deliver results in Richmond.

Check out some of the news coverage:

Former President Bill Clinton told Democrats that if they liked the way America grew jobs under his watch, they’ll love what Terry McAuliffe does as Virginia governor.

[Associated Press, 4-27-08]

Clinton also said McAuliffe could keep the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands in an election that will have national political implications.

“The Republicans see this an opportunity to make some gains and set the stage for 2012,” Clinton said this morning in an appearance with McAuliffe at an open-air farmer’s market in Richmond, drawing a crowd of about 400, according to Richmond officials. “Terry McAuliffe sees this an opportunity to make sure that Virginia leads the way in America’s economic recovery.”

[Roanoke Times, 4-27-08]

The former president said McAuliffe will attract businesses to Virginia and create jobs. “He was made for this moment in Virginia,” said Clinton.

[Virginian-Pilot, 4-27-08]

Clinton joined McAuliffe for a mid-morning rally in Richmond’s Farmer’s Market, telling a crowd the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee is ideally suited to be Virginia’s next governor. McAuliffe’s campaign said about 600 signed in for the event.

Clinton cited McAuliffe’s success as a businessman and investor, his leadership of the DNC and his ability to work with Republicans.

“He’s the right sort of bipartisan guy,“ said Clinton, with McAuliffe standing to his left. “He’ll reach out to Republicans, but he’s not the sort of guy who will let people jack you around.“

Clinton also said McAuliffe would be a superior partner with President Barack Obama. Clinton said it’s important that governors be able to work closely with the White House if the economy is to recover.

McAuliffe, who headed to Roanoke with Clinton after the Richmond appearance, attacked the all-but-official Republican nominee, former attorney general Bob McDonnell.

McAuliffe said McDonnell has an “idelogical agenda that will divide people.“

[Richmond Times-Dispatch, 4-27-09]

Tags: 2009, bill clinton, campaign, economy, jobs, rally, richmond, roanoke, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

Friday Governors Line: A "Once in a Generation" Election

April 3, 2009
The Washington Post
Chris Cillizza

10. Virginia (D controlled-2009): It's tough to handicap this race until June 10 when we know the identity of the Democratic nominee. Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe continues to impress -- rolling out a detailed plan to revive the Virginia economy and picking up labor endorsements, the latest of which came from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. (The Post's Virginia governor's race page has everything you could want on this contest.) Former state Del. Brian Moran continues to attack McAuliffe but it isn't clear how effective those hits have been. State Sen. Creigh Deeds, the only one of the trio not from northern Virginia, is biding his time in hopes that McAuliffe and Moran destroy one another and he can shoot the gap. A sidenote: The Fix will be moderating a debate between McAuliffe, Moran and Deeds on May 19 at Northern Virginia Community College. (Previous ranking: 9)

Tags: economy, endorsements, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia, virginia governor

Big Weekend

This weekend was huge! We made a trip to the Young Democrats convention, opened two field offices and brought hundreds of new volunteers in the process. Boy was it exciting seeing and talking to all those people as we begin to build a historic grassroots movement. I really enjoyed seeing such strong numbers of student Democrats at UVA Saturday. These are the young people who will really rally hard for our party. They are talented and hard working. And it’s a reminder that we’ve got to make sure we don’t lose Virginia’s best and brightest to other states.

I was also really feeling the energy in Charlottesville. Our local field office had standing room only for the grand opening and the crowd was pumped up and ready to work. The same was true in Richmond, where volunteers threw a huge party with live music and a Terry 2009 cake-- baked and donated by Just Cakes of Richmond. It was a great weekend and we’re just getting started! We’ve got 10 offices open across the Commonwealth. Our grassroots base is growing, and we want you with us. We’re pushing full steam ahead to June 9th!

Tags: field offices, governor 2009, mcauliffe, richmond, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

McAuliffe Unveils Plan to Increase Accountability and Transparency

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today unveiled his plan to strengthen transparency and accountability in state government and the private sector. McAuliffe proposed a ban on all lobbyist gifts to lawmakers and the executive branch, strengthening transparency by making our state budget more accessible and easy to understand, as well as fostering corporate accountability by strengthening ethics programs.

"As we work to grow our economy and create jobs across the Commonwealth, we must lead by example and demonstrate to taxpayers that their money is being spent fairly and wisely," McAuliffe said. "That's why I've pledged not to take any corporate contributions from companies or their corporate PACs receiving taxpayer-funded TARP money and to donate my salary as governor."

McAuliffe's accountability plan includes the following provisions:

Lobbyist Gift ban. In Virginia, there is no limit on the amount or types of gifts or trips that lobbyists can give to lawmakers or the executive branch. The only rule is that they must disclose gifts over a certain amount. This proposal would ban all gifts and trips from lobbyists to lawmakers and members of the executive branch.

Establish a Sunshine Website. This website would post campaign contribution information on a state-run website. All information required by state law from candidates would be posted. Additionally, the website would bring together information on campaign contributions to lawmakers and sponsored legislation. Virginians would be able to click on a legislator's name and view links to the bills that he or she sponsored in a given session as well as a link to major campaign contributors.

State budget as an online, searchable document. In order to encourage transparency, our state budget should be posted online in a format that is easy to search so that citizens can more easily understand how tax dollars are being spent. The budget is currently posted online, but is not in a user-friendly format. Creating a searchable document will allow citizens to keep track more directly of where their taxpayer dollars are being spent.

Database of government contracts. To encourage further transparency in government, an online database should be established so that taxpayers can see what contracts are held with the private sector. This database should also be searchable.

Strengthen ethics courses. McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia calls for creation and expansion of entrepreneurship programs at our institutions of higher education, including community colleges. As part of this renewed focus on entrepreneurship programs, ethics programs must be evaluated and, where necessary, strengthened to enforce the importance of ethics in business management.

Encourage good corporate citizenship. McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia builds on existing incentives and creates new ones to encourage businesses to start, expand, and flourish in Virginia. As governor, McAuliffe will ensure that all incentives given from the state are tied to strict claw-back provisions and other measures to make sure that companies receiving taxpayer dollars act in an appropriate and ethical fashion. Performance measures must be set and companies will be held accountable for commitments they make regarding job creation and investment.

Tags: 2009, accountability, ethics, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, transparency, virginia, virginia governor

Deeds-McAuliffe-Moran Agree to 5 Debates, 3 Joint Appearances Across Virginia

Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe, and Brian Moran announced that, pending format negotiations, they have accepted and would participate in 5 debates across the Commonwealth, as well as 3 joint appearances. Deeds campaign manager Joe Abbey, McAuliffe campaign manager Mike Henry, and Moran general consultant Steve Jarding released the following joint statement on the announcement of the debates:

"We are pleased to announce this debate and joint appearance schedule in the run-up to the June 9th primary to pick our next Democratic Governor of Virginia. Our campaigns worked together to schedule as many joint appearances and debates as possible all across the Commonwealth. Our candidates – Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe, and Brian Moran – look forward to having several spirited debates on the important issues facing Virginians."

The three campaigns agreed to the following debates: April 19th: Farm Team Debate in Williamsburg April 23rd: Virginia Education Association's Convention Debate in Hampton April 28th: Sorensen Institute/Danville Register & Bee Debate in Danville April 29th: Huffington Post/Not Larry Sabato/Fire Dog Lake/Collegiate Times Debate in Blacksburg May 19th: Washington Post/Northern Virginia Community College Debate in Annandale Deeds, McAuliffe, and Moran have also agreed to make joint appearances at the following forums: April 3rd: Northern Virginia Technology Council/Microsoft Forum in McLean April 21st: Crusade for Voters Forum in Richmond TBD: Democratic Club of Greensprings Forum in Greensprings Additional details on the debates and joint appearances will be released in the coming weeks. All campaigns have received over thirty requests for debates and appearances and are honored by the level of public interest in this campaign.

Tags: brian moran, creigh deeds, debates, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia governor

McAuliffe Files 17,243 Signatures with State Board of Elections

Today, thanking his volunteers and supporters across the Commonwealth, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe filed 17,243 signatures with the Virginia State Board of Elections.

"I'm honored by the tremendous outpouring of grassroots support I've received across Virginia," McAuliffe said. "It's critical for us to engage the grassroots and involve as many Virginians as possible in the process of electing our next Governor. I look forward to continuing a positive debate on who has the strongest ideas and best experience to get Virginia's economy back on track."

McAuliffe's signatures were collected by staff and volunteers and completed more than one month ago. His filing follows up on his victory last week in Gerry Connolly's St. Patrick's Day Straw Poll, where he received 58% of the vote. In 2006, the Fairfax straw poll was a watershed moment for now-Senator James Webb's primary campaign.

Tags: filing, macker, mcauliffe, petitions, signatures, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia governor, vriginia

New Radio Ad in Richmond and Hampton Roads

Emphasizing his work to promote the inclusion of every Virginia community in the electoral process, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today released a new radio advertisement. Entitled “Leadership,” the 60-second spot highlights his continued commitment to fighting for Virginians.

If you’re having trouble using the player, you can click here to download the ad.

Tags: 2009, hampton roads, mcauliffe, richmond, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

A Comprehensive, Long-Term Plan for Virginia's Energy Future

I've spent a lot of time traveling the Commonwealth, listening to Virginians tell me what's on their minds. And one thing I’ve noticed is that the people who are dealing with challenges day to day often have the best ideas about how to overcome them. Too often we see the same old policies come from the top-down. But not all good ideas come out of Richmond. They come from all corners of the Commonwealth.

That’s why I’ve spent the past several weeks asking you – online, and at economic roundtables all over Virginia – what would you do if you were governor?

Today. I’m unveiling the first chapter of my Business Plan to get Virginia’s economy moving, and I’ve incorporated a lot of great ideas that I heard from you.

I’m running for governor because I believe we need to think bigger. Instead of just focusing on how to get through the next month, the next year, or the next election, we need to think more imaginatively about how to make our Commonwealth run better. And instead of compartmentalizing our thinking – developing separate plans for “jobs,” “schools,” “health” or “the environment” – we need a coherent and comprehensive business plan for the Commonwealth that approaches all these issues as inter-related.

That’s what my plan does. Even though I’m releasing it one chapter at a time, my Business Plan was developed as a whole, and it recognizes that these issues and strategies all must work together to add value and create jobs in our state.

I’m starting with energy because the current trajectory for our state and our planet is clearly unsustainable. One of the biggest challenges we face today is how to meet a growing demand for energy in a way that helps reverse the effects of global warming. And that means that some of the most promising areas for growing our economy are in the renewable energy field.

I’m not going to walk through every idea in the plan today – I encourage you all to read it for yourselves. But I’d like to highlight a few things.

In order to bring green jobs here, we first need to create the most favorable business climate in the nation to encourage clean energy and clean tech businesses to start, expand, relocate and flourish right here in Virginia.

One of the first steps is to create a better market for renewable energy. As Governor, I will introduce legislation to increase our state’s standard for retail sellers of electricity to provide a portion of their electricity from renewable sources – I will make the standard 25 percent by 2025, and I will make it mandatory. It creates renewable energy jobs, it's good for our environment, and it helps the energy companies make money in the end.

I’ve invested in alternative energy companies myself, and I know that with agriculture and forestry as our leading industries, we have tremendous potential to grow biofuels and create new markets for our farmers. When I'm governor, I'm going to partner with the federal government, the private sector, and our colleges and universities to help make that happen. Green jobs are the jobs of the future, and I'm going to work every single day to make Virginia a leader in creating them.

One of the ways we can do that is by issuing tax credits and other incentives to encourage farmers to invest in systems that will convert chicken waste into energy. With Virginia chickens producing an estimated 500,000 tons of waste every year, excess nutrients end up in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. With the right technology, we can use that waste to generate enough energy to power 40,000 homes in Virginia. To do anything less would be a waste of good waste.

We also need to work to develop other forms of renewable energy in Virginia, like wind and solar. As Governor, I will seek to site, develop, and build one or more large wind projects offshore. In siting these developments, we will have some challenges to address, such as ensuring that we don’t interfere with major shipping corridors or areas important to the U.S. Navy. But we need to maximize our state’s obvious advantages and strengths. Our coastal areas rank among the best locations for wind development on the entire east coast because of the area’s strong, sustained winds, relatively shallow waters, and low probability of major hurricanes. By some estimates, anywhere from 20 percent to all of Virginia’s electricity demand could be met by off-shore wind projects because of the prevalence of Class 5 or greater winds that are found in waters less than 30 meters deep. In addition, more than 30 percent of the value of turbine components – from the towers and rotor hubs to the transformers –could be readily sourced in Virginia with existing manufacturing capability. As Governor, I will work to establish a wind turbine assembly facility and take advantage of our port to transport components up and down the East Coast.

One of the ideas I’ve included to increase the availability of solar power was submitted through our website by Jennifer Fier of Burke. She suggested we:

Create an incentive plan for people to make sustainable development improvement in their communities. Give tax breaks or feed-in tariffs for people who install solar panels or develop wind energy and plug them in to their community grids. A lot of homeowners want to invest in renewable energy, but can't afford to do so or are holding out until there is an incentive to do so. Offer this incentive. Encourage communities to invest together- buy the products in bulk and split the costs... A necessary step will be to train and hire people to install these new technologies, which could create jobs.

Jennifer’s idea is an excellent one, and my business plan proposes allowing homeowners to sell electricity back to their power company. This feed-in tariff program will require utilities to purchase solar energy from homeowners, creating an income source for those Virginians who install solar panels on their homes. This program will create jobs, increase solar power generation, and save money for Virginia’s families.

In addition to ensuring that more of the energy we use comes from renewable sources, we also need to reduce the demand for energy by increasing efficiency. It’s the cheapest and fastest way to cut energy demand and reduce power plant-related emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change.

Also, by cutting the growth in energy consumption, utilities will not have to invest millions, perhaps even billions, of dollars in new power plants and transmission lines – costs that ultimately are passed on to ratepayers for decades.

I will work with the Legislature and the State Corporation Commission to set a statewide policy requiring utilities to invest in cost-effective energy efficiency first before proposing and pursuing new generation, a policy used by leading states like California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

State government has another important role to play in this process, by setting an example for businesses to follow, and investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures directly.

The Commonwealth builds, operates, and manages a large portfolio of real estate. And just like Governor Kaine has, I will direct state agencies to examine their facilities and identify ways to invest more in efficiency and renewable energy.

But government can’t solve our problems alone. We all have to pitch in.

Thousands of Virginians want to do more to reduce their own carbon footprints and to do their part to put Virginia and America on a path towards a cleaner, more sustainable future. To help homeowners who want to invest in renewable energy but cannot afford to do so, I will offer tax and other incentives to reward communities that bring individuals together and aggregate residential buying power.

I also want to help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient. Using existing technologies, older homes can be retrofitted with energy-efficient insulation, windows, and other devices that can significantly cut energy consumption and save money. In most instances, these cost savings will pay for the cost of the investment in five to seven years.

Finally, having workers trained for jobs in the field of alternative and renewable energy is central to our ability to transform our energy consumption and improve our economic outlook. To make Virginia center of these future growth industries – as well as their spin-off jobs in manufacturing and distribution – we must ensure that Virginia has the best-trained workforce in the country for these industries and the skills they demand. Among other steps, I will challenge our Community College system to create new courses that prepare workers for jobs in renewable energy, alternative fuels, and other next generation technologies.

These ideas are just part of what you’ll find in the full first chapter of my business plan for Virginia. And they are just the beginning of what I believe we can accomplish if we work together. I look forward to getting started on making some of these big ideas a reality.

Tags: 2009, announcement, business plan, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia, virginia governor

Organizers

This page is being updated and is temporarily unavailable. Please check back soon.

Tags: campaign offices, field organizers, grassroots, mcauliffe, offices, organizers, terry mcauliife, virginia 2009, virginia governor

Birthday Card for McAuliffe

Virginia Pilot Online
Lauren King
February 8th, 2009

Terry McAuliffe is turning 52 this week and his wife, Dorothy, is asking supporters to sign an online card in celebration.

In an e-mail sent Friday, she said this year feels special with her husband running for governor, rather than working on a campaign for someone else.

“As he turns 52 next week, I was hoping you might take this opportunity to send him a message for his birthday,” she wrote in the e-mail. “I’ll make sure it gets to him.”

Visit the campaign Web site to sign the card.

Tags: birthday, mcauliffe, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia governor

Putting Out Fires and Making GOTV Calls for Sharon Bulova

This afternoon, over 50 volunteers poured into our headquarters to make calls for Sharon Bulova. Sharon is a great Democrat running for Chair of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors. The volunteers here today have already made over 10,000 calls, and everyone was energized by helping a good Democrat get elected in Fairfax County.

But the energy in the room exploded when Terry came in to make calls himself. Terry rallied the volunteers and talked about how important it is that Sharon win this election on Tuesday. The stakes in this race are high – Sharon will use her 21 years of experience to support better mass transit, preserve our environment, and keep our property taxes low. Her opponent has opposed progress at every turn – even the Dulles rail project. With the kind of challenges we face in Fairfax, we just cannot afford an approach that takes us backwards.

After firing up the troops, Terry got on the phone and made dozens of calls to Democrats in Fairfax County, urging them to come out and support Sharon. We’ll be doing more phone banking for Sharon tomorrow (Sunday), with shifts from 1:00-3:00 PM and 3:00-5:00 PM. So please try to make it down to our headquarters and help out. We’re located on the fourth floor of 7600 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102.

The phone bank capped off a long day for Terry. At 6:45 this morning, he started a shift with fire fighters at Local 141 in Fairfax City. During his shift, he helped with daily tasks around the firehouse, made lunch for the crew, and even helped put out a grass fire in the area. You can see Terry talking about his shift as he’s flipping burgers in the video below.

Today marked Terry’s second “work day” of the campaign. Earlier this month Terry bussed tables during a busy lunch shift at Roger Brown’s in Portsmouth. And in the coming weeks, Terry’s going to continue getting a firsthand look at the economy from the perspective of working Virginians, taking on different jobs that people do every day around the Commonwealth.

Tags: burgers, fairfax, fairfax station firefighters, firefighters, fires, gotv, governor 2009, mcauliffe, phone bank, phone banking, sharon bulova, special election, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

Come to dinner with me

It's an exciting time to be a Virginia Democrat. We're in a stronger strategic position than at any time I can remember, and I want to put you in the center of the action.

Next weekend, on February 7th, Democratic activists, elected officials, and party leaders are going to meet in Richmond for the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner. I am pumped up and ready to go. And I want you to sit at the liveliest table at the event -- mine!

For the next five days we're going to be holding a contest . Click here to enter your contact information and you'll automatically be entered to win a chance to sit next to me at the dinner. I'll let you know if you'll be joining me next week.

It's really amazing how far we've come. Just eight years ago, our party was broke and busted. Republicans controlled the governorship, both US Senate seats, and no Democratic Presidential candidate had carried Virginia in decades.

But starting in 2001, we went on a roll. Promising to run government like a business, Mark Warner took control of the Governor's mansion. And since then we've picked up three Congressional seats, taken both U.S. Senate seats, the state Senate, retained the governorship, and played a decisive role in voting Barack Obama into the White House.

At this year's JJ, we're going to celebrate all that we've accomplished, but we also need to set our sights on the future. Everything we've worked so hard to do in the last seven years under Mark Warner and Tim Kaine is at stake in this governor's race. And if we can finally take control of the House of Delegates too, I know we'll be able to keep moving Virginia forward.

So please don't miss this chance to join me at this exciting event.

Click Here for a Chance to Sit with Me at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

Tags: contest, governor, jefferson-jackson, jj, mcauliffe, richmond, terry mcauliffe, virginia democrats, virginia governor

McDonnell, McAuliffe Square Off in Fairfax Race

Washington Post
Tim Craig
January 28, 2009

The first battle of the 2009 general election campaign for governor will take place next week when voters in Fairfax County go to the polls to elect a new board chairman.

Emboldened by the near victory of a GOP House candidate in heavily Democratic Alexandria earlier this month, Virginia Republicans are hoping Fairfax Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) can defeat his Democratic opponent, Supervisor Sharon S. Bulova (Braddock), in the chairman’s race.

In effort to lay the groundwork for his own campaign this fall, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell ® has dispatched paid canvassers and volunteers to help Herrity. By the end of the weekend, McDonnell’s staff estimates they will have reached out to 15,000 voters.

Not to be outdone, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe is turning his Mclean headquarters into a daily phone banking center in support of Bulova. While much of the work will be done by volunteers, McAuliffe plans to man the phones on Saturday.

Tags: bob mcdonnell, bulova, governor, mcauliffe, mcdonnell, phone bank, special election, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

McAuliffe Campaign Releases First Television Ad: "Listened"

Today, Terry McAuliffe’s campaign for governor released its first television advertisement in Hampton Roads. The 30-second spot, titled “Listened,” highlights ideas on strengthening the region’s economy that McAuliffe has heard from people as he’s traveled across Hampton Roads. Emphasizing that the best ideas don’t always come out of Richmond, McAuliffe discusses his lifetime experience of creating jobs and his focus on getting Virginia’s economy back on track.

“I’ve spent four decades building businesses and creating jobs,” McAuliffe says in the ad. “Now, I’m running for Governor because I know we can create thousands more right here. I’ll make it my job to protect your job – and get Virginia’s economy moving.

The ad can be viewed here:

Tags: . mcauliffe, ad, aircraft carrier, carrier, economy, first ad, governor, governor 2009, hampton roads, jobs, listened, norfolk, television ad, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

A Must Read - January

The campaign's just 15 days old, but we've clearly got the momentum on our side. This morning, the Washington Post's Tim Craig highlighted some of the things we've accomplished, and I wanted to make sure you had a chance read his article.

Noting our "sophisticated, media-savvy approach," Craig wrote that, "Although many State House insiders were initially skeptical of McAuliffe, he has been running a nearly flawless campaign. Democrats and Republicans are taking him seriously."

He continued:

Consider how McAuliffe officially entered the race two weeks ago.

He had been telegraphing for weeks that he would announce his decision Jan. 7 on whether to run. So what did he do? He pulled off a surprise Jan. 3, a Saturday, releasing a video saying that he was going to run but would officially kick off his campaign Jan. 7.

The result was a round of stories in Sunday newspapers, often the most read of the week, about McAuliffe's decision. He got another round of coverage later in the week, after officially kicking off his campaign.

...

He has also found a way to keep his name in the media - newspapers, TV, Democratic blogs - almost daily. McAuliffe recently sought to shed his millionaire image by waiting tables in Hampton Roads. On Inauguration Day, he was planning to host a watch party for Democrats in Richmond instead of hobnobbing with A-list friends in Washington.

Click Here to Read the Full Article.

Terry's also spent a ton of time traveling around the Commonwealth, listening to voters and sharing his vision for turning the economy around. He knows that not every good idea comes from Richmond, and that message is resonating with folks everywhere he goes.

Thanks to you, we're off to a great start. But we've got a long way to go. So stay tuned.

Tags: announcement, announcement tour, governor 2009, inauguration, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe, tim craig, virginia governor, washington post

Richmond Veterans Face Steep Climb to Governor's Office

Washington Post
By Tim Craig
January 22, 2009

During this year’s campaign for governor of Virginia, one piece of trivia that will probably be invoked is that since Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976, the party that has won the White House has lost the state’s race for governor the next year.

But here is another tidbit that might be more relevant in this year’s contest: Since 1957, no delegate or state senator has won the nomination for governor without first leaving the General Assembly to serve in a higher office.

In Virginia, where governors can run for only one term, major party nominees in modern times have been sitting or former lieutenant governors, attorneys general, congressmen or businessmen.

Brian Moran (D), who resigned last month from the House of Delegates to focus on fundraising, and state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) are hoping to buck that trend. But first, they have to get past Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

McAuliffe’s candidacy is offering clues why it is so hard for state lawmakers to leap to the highest office in the commonwealth.

In campaign finance reports released last week, Deeds reported raising $658,000 from July 1 to Dec. 31. Moran raised $755,000, including a $50,000 donation from his brother, U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.). Although their coffers are respectable, Moran and Deeds appear to be well short of the resources needed to wage a modern TV campaign.

McAuliffe raised $950,000, but he had been a candidate for only the last six weeks of the reporting period.

In dealing with McAuliffe’s entry into the race, Moran and Deeds face a unique challenge.

Moran, who has not had to run a competitive race since being elected to the General Assembly in 1995, will have to keep pace with McAuliffe financially or figure out how to make strategic spending decisions that won’t jeopardize his bid.

Deeds is starting to signal that he might not try to raise or spend money on the same scale as his opponents. If that occurs, Deeds risks a trap that befell former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in last year’s GOP presidential primaries — he’s a popular guy who was never quite accepted as a serious contender.

Although many State House insiders were initially skeptical of McAuliffe, he has been running a nearly flawless campaign. Democrats and Republicans are taking him seriously.

McAuliffe has put together a campaign team of veterans of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s (D) successful 2005 run. His advisers also have experience waging hard-fought national campaigns, which is translating into a sophisticated, media-savvy approach.

Consider how McAuliffe officially entered the race two weeks ago.

He had been telegraphing for weeks that he would announce his decision Jan. 7 on whether to run. So what did he do? He pulled off a surprise Jan. 3, a Saturday, releasing a video saying that he was going to run but would officially kick off his campaign Jan. 7.

The result was a round of stories in Sunday newspapers, often the most read of the week, about McAuliffe’s decision. He got another round of coverage later in the week, after officially kicking off his campaign.

Since then, McAuliffe’s campaign has been about building an image of overwhelming Deeds and Moran. On Jan. 7, McAuliffe also unveiled his first radio advertisement.

The 60-second spot, kicking off perhaps the earliest gubernatorial ad campaign in state history, aired on black radio stations in Richmond and Norfolk.

McAuliffe’s decision to target black voters shows he understands that African Americans are a crucial demographic in the June primary.

He has also found a way to keep his name in the media — newspapers, TV, Democratic blogs — almost daily. McAuliffe recently sought to shed his millionaire image by waiting tables in Hampton Roads. On Inauguration Day, he was planning to host a watch party for Democrats in Richmond instead of hobnobbing with A-list friends in Washington.

Mike Henry, McAuliffe’s campaign manager, outlined his formidable campaign operation in a memo last week to supporters. In it, Henry said that McAuliffe has bought Internet and newspaper ads and plans to hire 40 field organizers.

McAuliffe is building a strategy that combines grass-roots organizing with paid media. Henry said in his memo that three-fourths of the campaign budget will be reserved to “communicate directly with voters.”

Moran, who spent $150,000 more than he raised during the reporting period, will have to decide how to prioritize his campaign. If he invests too heavily in staff and field efforts, he might not have the resources to launch an effective media campaign. If he skimps on field organizers to do more advertising, he runs the risk of being out-organized by McAuliffe.

Moran is signaling that he’ll try to do it all, as evidenced by the decision to hire Democratic strategist Joe Trippi as his media adviser.

Trippi is acclaimed for helping Howard Dean harness the Internet as a campaign tool during his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004.

It’s unclear how Moran can afford new staff members. Last week, he announced that he had hired a campaign manager. Before those two hires, he had spent about $650,000 from July through December on consultants and fundraising, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Deeds has been frugal. But in interviews, he has said that he will not try to keep up with McAuliffe in fundraising and campaign apparatus.

The Deeds campaign appears to preparing for a strategy based on a primary turnout similar to that in the 2006 contest between Sen. James Webb and Harris Miller, a lawyer.

In that contest, 4 percent of registered voters showed up at the polls, most of whom were die-hard Democrats. But turnout could spike dramatically this year in what is the first contested Democratic gubernatorial primary in more than two decades. If Deeds tries to run a campaign that is too low-key, he could be left behind as McAuliffe and Moran battle daily on TV for the affections of first-time voters.

Without a statewide base or national fundraising experience, Deeds and Moran have to work extra hard to prove that legislators have what it takes to mount a successful campaign for governor.

Tags: campaign strategy, fundraising, governor 2009, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

McAuliffe Pitches Green Jobs to Spur Economy

Fauquier Times-Democrat
By Dan Roem
January 21, 2009

Perhaps it’s not fair to boil Terry McAuliffe’s candidacy for governor down to a single issue.

But the dominate message of McAuliffe’s relatively brief candidacy is economic revitalization through job creation.

“You want jobs, you want benefits,” McAuliffe told a small group of prospective voters at Foster’s Grille in Old Town Manassas earlier this month. “You want a good education.”

McAuliffe officially entered the governor’s race Jan. 7 and is vying for the Democratic nomination against Bath County state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-25th) and former Alexandria Delegate Brian Moran (D-46th).

The winner of the June 9 primary will then likely face presumptive Republican nominee Attorney General Bob McDonnell ® in the general election in November.

The Syracuse, N.Y., native has spent most of the last two decades living in McLean.

He has a background in business and Internet investments, is the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and chaired Sen. Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful run for president as a volunteer.

“I don’t believe you raise taxes in a down economy,” said McAuliffe during an interview with the Times Community Newspaper reporters last Thursday. “That leaves you with one alternative. I think we need to grow the economy. I think we need to create jobs.”

McAuliffe focuses his job-creation stump speeches on the green-energy sector of the economy. Creating jobs in the renewable energy field would drive down the need for more coal or nuclear power plants, he said, and lessen the need for more power lines like the ones Dominion Virginia Power is hoping to build across the Piedmont

According to McAuliffe, converting the Shenandoah Valley’s chicken waste and other renewable resources into biofuel creates situations where excess runoff from farms does not head to the Chesapeake Bay, and farmers make more money.

And though states in the Great Plains may be more suitable for wind farms, McAuliffe suggested there should be a focus on bringing manufacturing jobs related to the wind turbines to Virginia.

How he plans to bring in all these jobs is through a series of tax incentives, as well as investments in transportation infrastructure and education.

“You put it in a lot of different funds,” he suggested. “There are entities in the commonwealth today that do it. Maybe you bring them all together,” he said.

Once money does start coming back into the state coffers, though, McAuliffe supports spending it on more job creation.

“I think one opportunity we could improve upon: We haven’t been successful going out and getting what you call the mega-project deals,” he said.

McAuliffe took care to avoid pointing fingers for the failure to secure some possible mega-projects.

“Everybody’s done a great job and done the things they’ve had to do,” he said, though he later noted problems he has with the state legislature.

“You’ve got to offer them tax incentives to come,” said McAuliffe of businesses. “You’ve got to help them with the infrastructure,” such as is being done every day in other states.

“I think we have a better opportunity to get them than other states, but, as I always mention, they tie the governor’s hands. The General Assembly doesn’t give [the governor] enough streamline process.”

Even when speaking about his opposition to the Dillon Rule, McAuliffe focused his criticism on big businesses not being able to set up shop in certain localities due to restrictions.

“I think the Dillon Rule has held us back on job growth…” he said. “You wonder why we haven’t gotten a lot of these big projects. Because of the Dillon Rule and problems around zoning, you have a very hard time putting those [large] parcels together.”

Given more localized authority, he said, school boards and local governments could work more efficiently.

“If we could have some consolidation of school boards working together for bulk purchasing power, I think that would be important, to allow local governments to do this, to save money themselves,” McAuliffe said.

“I mean, they know how to do it. They’re living in these communities. But right now, you all have to have separate structures.”

As someone who made his name on the national circuit, the former Democratic National Committee chairman said he has been challenged during his campaign about not being familiar enough with local politics to become governor.

However, as the state is swinging from red to blue, McAuliffe said that he thinks his national status is actually more help than hindrance.

“People say I’m a big personality, colorful and all that,” he said. “I’m just telling [you, given] the economic times, I think that attracts a lot of people.”

Tags: economy, governor 2009, green jobs, jobs, manassas, mcauliffe, northern virginia, renewable energy, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor

McAuliffe: Economy, education are the keys

Powhatan Today
By Michael Copley
Jan 21, 2009

About 15 county residents filled the back room of the Village Garden Café Jan. 13, for a town hall meeting with Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, a democrat from McLean, Va.

McAuliffe, 51, shook hands with those in attendance and made a few remarks before opening the floor for questions.

“Everyone is nervous about the economy,” he said, “and I think 2009 will be the worst year since the Great Depression.”

McAuliffe hails from a business background — “I’m from outside the legislature,” he admitted — and his focus Tuesday centered on bolstering a failing economy by creating new jobs.

“To fix the economy you either generate income through new jobs, cut funding, or raise taxes, and you don’t raise taxes in a down economy.”

He continued, “We’ve cut [the budget] to the bone. Now we’re cutting things like education and health care.”

“50 percent of teachers leave the profession after the first five years,” said McAuliffe. “We need to invest in education early. If they say 90 percent of brain development happens by the pre-kindergartner age, then let’s provide pre-kindergarten education. My kids were able to go to a pre-K program because I could afford it, but that shouldn’t be a reason for them to have a leg up on anyone else.”

Ensuring an educated workforce for the future and efforts to create efficient mass transportation options are a part of McAuliffe’s push to draw investors and big business to the state. But so is his insistence that “Virginia needs mandatory renewable energy standards — that’s the only way to encourage investment.”

But, “It all fits in with job creation. I can’t fix education and transportation,” he said, without an economy strengthened by new jobs. “I get out of bed thinking about creating jobs.”

Leading up to the June Democratic Primary, McAuliffe is in a three-way race with Sen. Creigh Deeds and former state delegate Brian Moran, and opponents have attacked McAuliffe’s lack of legislative experience. He is a former Chairman of the Democratic National Convention and has experience as a campaign fundraiser in the Clinton campaigns.

The opposition is skeptical of McAuliffe’s Clinton connection and says he aims to buy the election with a staggering list of national campaign contributors.

In Powhatan Tuesday, McAuliffe said his campaign has drummed up close to one million dollars since announcing his candidacy in November, but that no donation above $100 was collected from outside the state. “You can’t buy an election, you have to have big ideas. I’m willing to put the big issues on the table — that’s why Obama won. I’m going to compete for votes in every part of Virginia,” he said, “I’m going to go everywhere. If I don’t win, my life isn’t going to change, so I’m not going to say something just for the sake of getting elected.”

Tags: economy, governor 2009, jobs, mcauliffe, powhatan, powhatan today, terry mcauliffe, virginia governor