Terry McAuliffe

Terrence McAuliffe, commonly called Terry, is an American political leader. He currently serves as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

McAuliffe grew up in Syracuse, New York; his father was treasurer of the local Democratic organization. He received his undergraduate degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Immediately after graduation, McAuliffe took a job in the campaign of Jimmy Carter, who was running for reelection as President of the United States. After the campaign failed, McAuliffe got his law degree from Georgetown University, graduating in 1984. After this, he went into private business in the fields of banking, real estate, and insurance, while also working in the Democratic party; he has served as the finance director (chief fundraiser) of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

In February of 2001, McAuliffe was confirmed as the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee; his promotion was widely seen as a bid to secure more soft money for the party. With the passage of campaign finance reform legislation in 2002, this source of funds dried up, and rumors have persisted about McAuliffe's job prospects; however, he has remained in this position. McAuliffe was the architect of the 2004 Democratic primary schedule, which "front-loaded" the race with numerous early primaries, ensuring that a nominee would be chosen very quickly.