McAuliffe spreads the word he’s running for governor

By Ben Pershing
The dust is barely settled on the 2012 elections in Virginia, and the positioning has already begun for next year, as Terry McAuliffe has begun calling fellow Democrats to tell them that he plans to run for governor.
McAuliffe has made more than 200 calls to supporters informing them of the news and will open up an official campaign committee in December, according to an aide.
The step is essentially a formality for McAuliffe, who lost the 2009 Democratic gubernatorial primary to Creigh Deeds and has been angling to run again ever since. He has privately told supporters before that he would run in 2013.
But the timing of McAuliffe’s calls, which were first reported by the Virginian-Pilot, is curious, as they come just days after Sen. Mark Warner (D) told reporters he would announce by Thanksgiving whether he plans to make a bid to return to the governor’s mansion. McAuliffe would be widely expected to step aside if Warner runs.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/11/08/terry-mcauliffe-says-hes-running-for-governor/