The bulk of the money — a combination of direct donations from Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s (pictured) Common Good VA PAC and funds raised at the two big-dollar events he hosted — has gone to Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, Democrats’ nominee to replace McAuliffe. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo McAuliffe drops $1 million-plus on Virginia races

The race for Virginia governor could have big implications for outgoing Gov. Terry McAuliffe's future — and he's plowing his political and financial capital into the contest accordingly.

McAuliffe is planning on Saturday to transfer $100,000 more to Virginia House of Delegates campaigns and the state Democrats’ coordinated campaign, a Democrat familiar with the plans told POLITICO. The move pushes his contributions and fundraising past the $1 million mark for his state’s Democratic candidates.


While McAuliffe, a longtime operative and former Democratic National Committee chairman, is well known for his deep involvement in national Democratic politics and his deep ties to donors, such pronounced involvement is unusual for a potential presidential hopeful in a tight race.

Prospective national contenders often resist characterizations of such races as referenda on their own tenures, though McAuliffe remains broadly popular in the state.

The bulk of the money — a combination of direct donations from McAuliffe’s Common Good VA PAC and funds raised at the two big-dollar events he hosted — has gone to Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, Democrats’ nominee to replace McAuliffe. A close friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton, McAuliffe also arranged Northam’s upcoming fundraiser with Democrats’ 2016 presidential nominee in New York next month.

McAuliffe has also spread campaign cash to House of Delegates candidates, Attorney General Mark Herring, and lieutenant governor candidate Justin Fairfax.

Northam is locked in a tight battle with former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie, though he is favored by a slim margin. With just over one month left in the campaign, he has not shied from McAuliffe, featuring the governor in ads during the primary, but he has yet to receive the rush of national Democratic support that many expect to swoop in.