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Terry McAuliffe launches bid for second term as Virginia governor
After months of speculation, former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe officially announced he’d be running for a second-term on Wednesday in Richmond.
RICHMOND, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - After months of speculation, former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe officially announced he’d be running for a second-term on Wednesday in Richmond.
In August, McAuliffe told FOX 5’s Tom Fitzgerald that he’d filed the paperwork to run, but hadn’t made a final decision.
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Terry McAuliffe weighing gov run
Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe is considering making a run for his old job.
READ MORE: Terry McAuliffe files paperwork to run but says no decision made
Nevertheless, he was widely expected to launch a bid in 2020.
If he wins, McAuliffe – a close confidante of the Clintons – would become the first governor in nearly half a century to be elected to multiple terms.
READ MORE: Virginia capital moves forward with Black Lives Matter mural
Commonwealth law prohibits a sitting governor from running for reelection. But former governors are able to bid for their old jobs.
McAuliffe was elected governor in 2013, and was succeeded by Ralph Northam in 2017.
He launched his first bid in 2009, but lost. He ran with no party opposition in 2013.
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McAuliffe will likely enter the field as the front-runner – but faces a great deal of competition that includes Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, State Senator Jennifer McClellan and former State Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy.
Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states in the nation to hold elections for governor in the year after a presidential election, giving both states outsized attention.