Terry McAuliffe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry McAuliffe
McAuliffe in 2020
72nd Governor of Virginia
In office January 11, 2014 – January 13, 2018
Lieutenant	Ralph Northam
Preceded by	Bob McDonnell
Succeeded by	Ralph Northam
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 17, 2016 – July 16, 2017
Deputy	Brian Sandoval
Preceded by	Gary Herbert
Succeeded by	Brian Sandoval
Chair of the Democratic National Committee
In office February 3, 2001 – February 12, 2005
Preceded by	Ed Rendell (General Chair) Joe Andrew (National Chair)
Succeeded by	Howard Dean
Personal details
Born	Terence Richard McAuliffe (1957-02-09) February 9, 1957 (age 68) Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Dorothy Swann ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	5
Education	Catholic University of America (BA) Georgetown University (JD)
Signature

Terence Richard McAuliffe (born February 9, 1957) is an American businessman and politician. He served as the 72nd governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

McAuliffe has held many important roles in the Democratic Party. He was a co-chairman for President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign. He also chaired the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2001 to 2005. Later, he chaired Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

In 2013, McAuliffe won the election for governor of Virginia. He defeated Republican Ken Cuccinelli. Virginia law does not allow governors to serve two terms in a row. So, he was followed by his lieutenant governor, Ralph Northam. McAuliffe ran for governor again in 2021 but lost to Glenn Youngkin.

As governor, McAuliffe focused on growing Virginia's economy. He also worked to give voting rights back to many people who had finished their prison sentences. During his last year in office, he spoke out against the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. He called for the removal of Confederate monuments.

Early Life and Education

McAuliffe was born and grew up in Syracuse, New York. His father was a real estate agent and a local Democratic politician. His family has Irish roots.

He finished high school in 1975. In 1979, he earned a bachelor's degree from the Catholic University of America. After college, McAuliffe worked for President Jimmy Carter's re-election campaign. He became the national finance director at just 22 years old.

After the campaign, McAuliffe went to Georgetown University Law Center. He earned his law degree in 1984.

Business Career

McAuliffe started his first business at age 14. He sealed driveways and parking lots.

In 1985, McAuliffe helped start the Federal City National Bank in Washington, D.C.. In 1988, at 30 years old, he became the bank's chairman. This made him the youngest chairman in the United States Federal Reserve Bank's history. In 1991, he helped merge the bank with Credit International Bank. He became the vice-chairman of the new bank.

In 1996, he bought a homebuilding company called American Heritage Homes. It was almost bankrupt. He became its chairman. By 1998, he had made American Heritage Homes one of Central Florida's largest homebuilders. In 2002, KB Home bought American Heritage Homes for $74 million.

In 1997, McAuliffe invested $100,000 in Global Crossing. This was a telecommunications company. In 1999, he sold most of his shares for $8.1 million.

McAuliffe also joined ZeniMax Media as a company advisor in 2000.

In 2009, McAuliffe became a non-executive chairman at GreenTech Automotive. This company focused on electric cars. He later moved GreenTech's headquarters to McLean, Virginia. He resigned from GreenTech in 2012 to focus on his run for governor.

The Washington Post newspaper reported that McAuliffe has "earned millions as a banker, real estate developer, home builder, hotel owner, and internet venture capitalist."

Early Political Career

Working with the Clintons

McAuliffe was very good at raising money for the Democratic Party. He had a close relationship with Bill and Hillary Clinton. McAuliffe and his team raised $275 million for Clinton's causes when he was president. This was a huge amount of money at the time. After Bill Clinton left office, McAuliffe helped the Clintons with their home mortgage.

McAuliffe told The New York Times in 1999 that he met all his business contacts through politics. He said, "It's all interrelated." He also said that his business success came partly from his connection with Bill Clinton. In 2004, he was on the board of directors for the Clinton Foundation.

Democratic National Convention

In June 2000, McAuliffe became the chairman of the 2000 Democratic National Convention. He took over when the previous chairman resigned. He promised that raising money for the convention would not be a problem. Many in the party saw this as a sign of his growing influence.

Chair of the Democratic National Committee

In February 2001, McAuliffe was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He served until February 2005. During his time, the DNC raised $578 million. It also got out of debt for the first time ever. Before this, he was the DNC finance chairman in 1994.

In 2001, McAuliffe started the Voting Rights Institute. He also announced the Hispanic Voter Outreach Project. This project aimed to reach more Hispanic voters. The same year, he created the Women's Vote Center. This center helped educate and encourage women to run for office.

McAuliffe worked to change the Democratic primary schedule. This allowed states like Arizona and South Carolina to vote earlier. This change gave African-American and Hispanic/Latino communities more say in presidential primaries. The DNC also built its first National Voter File. This was a computer database of over 175 million names.

As chairman, McAuliffe focused on getting donations through mail and online. He built a base of small donors. This helped the party pay off its debt. Under his leadership, the DNC raised $248 million from donors giving $25,000 or less.

After the DNC

McAuliffe interacts with staffers and volunteers at Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign headquarters.

McAuliffe was a co-chair for the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign. He was also a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

In 2012, he was a visiting fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He gave lectures and hosted a segment about becoming a political candidate.

2009 Gubernatorial Campaign

McAuliffe campaigning for governor, 2009.

On November 10, 2008, McAuliffe started exploring a run for the Virginia gubernatorial election in 2009. He believed he could win as a business leader who could create jobs in Virginia. He also mentioned his ability to raise money for other Democratic candidates. He raised over $7.5 million for his campaign.

In the primary election, he ran against two other Democrats. He placed second with 26% of the vote.

Governor of Virginia (2014–2018)

2013 Election

McAuliffe campaigning for governor, 2013.

On November 8, 2012, McAuliffe announced he would run for governor of Virginia in 2013. He said Virginians wanted a governor focused on creating jobs and being financially responsible.

On April 2, 2013, McAuliffe became the Democratic nominee without anyone running against him. In the main election, he ran against Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Libertarian Robert Sarvis. He won with 47.8% of the vote. He was the first candidate from the sitting president's party to be elected governor of Virginia since 1973.

Time in Office

McAuliffe and the inaugural VSP Capital Campout, 2015.

McAuliffe became governor on January 11, 2014. After the ceremony, he signed four executive orders. One order banned gifts over $100 to people in his administration. Another stopped discrimination against state employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

As governor, McAuliffe issued a record 120 vetoes. He vetoed more bills than the three governors before him combined. The state legislature did not overturn any of his vetoes. During his time, Virginia gained over $20 billion in new business investments. This was $7 billion more than any previous governor. He also traveled to promote state tourism and products.

In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed McAuliffe to the Council of Governors. He also became chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program's executive council. He was elected vice chair of the National Governors Association in 2015 and became its chair in 2016. In June 2016, he was named "Governor of the Year" by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.

During his term, unemployment in Virginia dropped from 5.7% to 3.3%. Personal income also increased.

Economic Development

McAuliffe with CEO of Dominion Resources Inc. Thomas F. Farrell II and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, after signing a ceremonial solar panel, August 2, 2016.

McAuliffe helped bring Stone Brewing to Richmond. He also secured a $2 billion paper plant in the Richmond area. He worked on deals to bring Corporate Executive Board's headquarters to Arlington, creating 800 new jobs. He helped restore Carnival Cruise Lines service to Norfolk and Air China service to Dulles International Airport.

In February 2016, he announced that Virginia was the first state to effectively end homelessness for veterans. In 2017, he announced that Nestle USA was moving its headquarters from California to Virginia. He also helped bring Amazon's second headquarters to Virginia in 2018.

Voting Rights

In April 2016, McAuliffe signed an executive order. This order gave voting rights back to over 200,000 people in Virginia. These were people who had finished their prison sentences and parole. At the time, Virginia was one of 12 states that permanently barred former offenders from voting.

The Supreme Court of Virginia first overturned his order. They said the Constitution of Virginia did not allow the governor to grant such broad pardons. In August 2016, he announced he had restored voting rights to almost 13,000 people individually. He used an autopen for this. By the end of his term, he had restored voting rights for 173,000 people. This was more than any other governor in U.S. history.

Immigration

On January 31, 2017, McAuliffe announced that Virginia was joining a lawsuit. This lawsuit challenged President Donald Trump's immigration executive order. On March 27, 2017, he vetoed a bill. This bill would have stopped sanctuary cities in Virginia.

Unite the Right Rally

McAuliffe was governor during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. He strongly condemned the rally. He told the white supremacists and Nazis to "Go home." He said there was "no place for you here, there is no place for you in America." At first, McAuliffe was against removing Confederate monuments. But after the rally, he changed his mind.

Post-Governorship

After the 2016 presidential election, some thought McAuliffe might run for president in 2020. In April 2019, McAuliffe announced he would not run for president. He decided to focus on supporting Democrats in the 2019 Virginia elections.

In February 2018, he became the state engagement chair for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

2021 Gubernatorial Campaign

Campaign logo, 2021.

In December 2020, McAuliffe announced he would run for governor again. On June 8, 2021, he won the Democratic primary. He received 62% of the vote. He then faced Republican Glenn Youngkin in the general election.

McAuliffe campaigned on his economic record as governor. He supported improving infrastructure and voting rights. He also supported Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan. Many important Democratic figures campaigned with McAuliffe. These included Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris.

In the general election, Youngkin defeated McAuliffe. Youngkin received 50.6% of the vote. McAuliffe received 48.6%. Education policy was a big topic in the election.

Political Positions

McAuliffe meeting with Maryland governor Larry Hogan in 2017.

Education

McAuliffe supports workforce development. He believes education plans could be funded by saving money from Medicaid expansion.

In his 2013 campaign, McAuliffe promised to reduce the number of standardized tests in schools. In 2015, a bill he signed changed how schools are accredited. It reduced the number of standardized tests needed for graduation. It also added other ways to measure school progress.

In 2017, McAuliffe vetoed a bill that would have increased the number of charter schools. He said it took power away from local school boards. He was also worried about taking money from public schools.

Energy and Environment

McAuliffe believes that human activity has caused global warming. He sees clean energy as important for national security. He supports reducing reliance on foreign oil. He wants to invest in technologies like solar farms and offshore wind turbines.

In his 2009 campaign, McAuliffe said, "I want to move past coal." He also supported the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan. This plan would limit carbon dioxide from power plants.

In 2017, McAuliffe asked the federal government to keep Virginia's coast out of plans for offshore drilling. In May 2017, he issued an executive order for Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This group aims to cut greenhouse gases from power plants. Virginia was the first southern state to join.

Gun Rights

McAuliffe is a hunter and owns shotguns. He supports universal background checks for gun sales. As Governor, he called for a limit on handgun purchases and a ban on guns for domestic abusers. He also called for an assault weapons ban in Virginia.

In January 2016, McAuliffe reached an agreement with Republicans. This allowed people with concealed carry permits from other states to carry guns in Virginia. The deal also aimed to take guns from domestic abusers. It required state police to offer background checks at gun shows.

Healthcare

McAuliffe supports the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He supports expanding Medicaid. He argues that taxes Virginians pay would return to Virginia if Medicaid was expanded.

LGBT Rights

McAuliffe supports same-sex marriage. He supported the U.S. Supreme Court rulings that recognized the right of same-sex couples to marry.

When running for governor in 2013, McAuliffe was the first candidate to openly support same-sex marriage.

Transportation

McAuliffe supported a transportation bill passed in 2013. He is in favor of the Silver Line. This project would expand Metrorail services into Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

Personal Life

McAuliffe and his family at Twin Lakes State Park, 2015.

McAuliffe married Dorothy Swann on October 8, 1988. They live in McLean, Virginia and have five children. Their son Jack attended the United States Naval Academy and became a Marine. Their daughter, Sally, graduated from Syracuse University in 2022.

In March 2018, George Mason University appointed McAuliffe as a visiting professor.

Books

McAuliffe has written two books that appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.

His first book, What a Party! My Life Among Democrats, was published in 2007. It included stories like McAuliffe wrestling an alligator to get a political donation. He and the alligator even appeared on the cover of Life magazine.

In 2019, McAuliffe wrote a second book called Beyond Charlottesville, Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism. This book also became a New York Times Best Seller.

Electoral History

2009

2013

McAuliffe ran unopposed in the 2013 Virginia gubernatorial Democratic primary.

2021

Images for kids

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  Terry McAuliffe's signature

See also

In Spanish: Terry McAuliffe para niños