Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe emails supporters tonight that he is running for governor of Virginia — via a Democratic source:

I am as excited as you that President Obama was re-elected with the help of Virginia and Tim Kaine will be our next Senator. We voted to keep moving our country forward with a President and Virginia Senators who fight for the middle class.

Overall, the message from America to Washington was clear: Forget party labels and start immediately working together for job growth and fiscal responsibility. On Election Night, I spent hours helping to make sure voters in Henrico County knew that if they were in line by the time polls closed, they had a right to vote even if it meant waiting for quite a while. As the President said on Tuesday, if citizens are waiting in lines for hours to vote, we simply have to fix that. It's something both parties can easily agree on.

After Tuesday, one thing is certain: Everyone needs a break from politics. This was an especially long and hard-fought election and now is the time for Washington to come together and solve some of the country’s most urgent issues around taxes, spending and our deficit.

I realize that after any election some people’s immediate question is about the next campaign. I want to be straightforward with you: I plan on running for Governor of Virginia in 2013.

Over the past four years, I’ve traveled to every corner of Virginia for over 2,400 meetings and events. It is absolutely clear to me that Virginians want their next Governor to focus on job creation and common sense fiscal responsibility instead of divisive partisan issues. If we want Virginia to be the best place for business, we need leaders who prioritize economic growth and move beyond the political issues that are designed to divide us.

2013 will be a new year, a new campaign, and a critical time to decide the future of the Commonwealth. Until then, I will be spending the holidays with my family, continuing my work in business, and listening to your ideas for Virginia’s future.

Enjoy the weekend with your family and the well-deserved break from politics.

Please stay in touch,

Terry