McAuliffe PAC raises $2M for Democratic candidates

by Julia Manchester - 06/06/22 1:37 PM ET

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe addresses supporters during an election night event at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Va., on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. — Greg Nash

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s (D) Common Good Virginia PAC raised $2 million for Democrats running in races this cycle, according to a memo obtained exclusively by The Hill on Monday.

McAuliffe noted in the memo sent to donors that his PAC had raised more than $650,000 for candidates running in highly contested Senate races. In Arizona, the PAC raised more than $160,000 for incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D). In Florida, it raised more than $133,000 for Rep. Val Demings (D).The group brought in $117,000 for incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and $107,000 for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). It also raised $80,000 for incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nevada) and more than $20,000 for incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

McAuliffe said that the group’s goal is to raise more than $1 million for the contested races.

“These Senate races are just a sampling of the strong fundraising that Common Good’s grassroots donors have contributed to Democrats up and down the ballot,” McAuliffe wrote. “With our continued commitment, Common Good will play a key role in making sure that the House, the Senate, and Governor’s offices across America are in Democratic control.”

The former governor is a powerhouse Democratic fundraiser, having served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee in the early 2000s.

McAuliffe, who served as Virginia governor from 2014 to 2018, lost his bid for the office last year to now-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). McAuliffe and Youngkin broke fundraising records during the race, bringing in a combined total of $136 million. Youngkin raked in $67.9 million over the course of the campaign, including $20 million in personal loans. McAuliffe raised $68 million.

After his loss, McAuliffe was reportedly floated for a senior role as an adviser to President Biden. The State Department announced last week that McAuliffe’s wife, former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe, will serve as the department’s new special representative for global partnerships.