As McAuliffe seeks second term, opponents call for a 'new approach' to leadership McAuliffe announces gubernatorial bid, unprecedented investment in education, teacher pay and last updated 2020-12-09 18:52:17-05 RICHMOND, Va. -- Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe entered the race for the Executive Mansion promising a ânew Virginia way,â through a platform focused on voting rights, education, and the environment. His opponents, in an already crowded field, quickly seized the moment to call for a ânew approachâ to leadership within the party. McAuliffe enters the race with the most name recognition and a history of raising major dollar figures for his campaign and others.