Virginia’s McAuliffe makes gubernatorial bid official, releases education plan

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Terry McAuliffe is trying to get his old job back.

“Today, I am proud to launch my campaign with my plan on the most important issue facing the next Governor: education,” he said.

The former Virginia governor announced a formal bid for governor at Miles Jones Elementary School on Dec. 9.

“Today, I’m releasing my education plan. We need to finally tackle inequities in education, and build the nation’s best workforce for the job creators of the future. And we are going to make the biggest, boldest investment in education in Virginia history to do it.”

McAuliffe, once best known as a top Democratic money man and close friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s, will enter an already crowded Democratic primary.

The governor’s race in Virginia will be one of the country’s marquee political contests next year, serving as a barometer of the public mood during President-elect Joe Biden’s first year in office.

There are currently six candidates in the race, Republican Delegate Kirk Cox and Republican State Senator Amanda Chase, who announced she will be running as an Independent.

On the Democratic side, the field is even more crowded; Former Governor Terry McAuliffe is currently facing three opponents - Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, Jennifer McClellan, a state senator; and Jennifer Carroll Foy, who just resigned from the House of Delegates to campaign full time.

It is worth mentioning, all three of the former governor’s opponents in the primary are Black, two of which are women.

But Dr. Larry Sabato, Director of the UVA Center for Politics, says that even though it’s early, the former governor has an edge.

“You have to say Terry McAuliffe as a former governor is the early front runner, at least at the starting gate he would have the favorite status. He’s a former governor, he’s run twice, he lost the first time, he won the second time, he knows how the system works,” said Dr. Sabato.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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