Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime ally of Hillary Clinton, said Tuesday evening he would not immediately take a job in her administration should she win the presidency.
“I wouldn’t leave the job,” McAuliffe told WUSA9 at a gathering for Democratic congressional candidate Lou Ann Bennett.
“I love being governor. It’s the greatest job in the world,” McAuliffe said. “I’m staying here for the next year.”
Due to Virginia’s one-term limit on its governorship, McAuliffe will leave office in 2017.
If Clinton does win the election on Tuesday, McAuliffe will be tasked with selecting a replacement for her running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, before a special race to fill his seat occurs next year.
McAuliffe expressed confidence that Virginia would deliver a victory for Clinton
“We’ve worked hard with the data,” McAuliffe said. “I think in a presidential year, we truly are a blue state and tonight will prove it.”
The close Clinton confidante also predicted a victory for Bennett over incumbent Rep. Barbara Comstock, particularly due to Clinton’s strong support in that district.
“It is a very tight race,” McAuliffe said. “But I think with Hillary doing so well here in the 10th, I think Lou Ann Bennett is going to go to Congress.”
Clinton led Donald Trump in Virginia by 5.3 points heading into Election Day, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
The hard-fought race between Comstock and Bennett has attracted millions of dollars in outside spending, and was characterized as a virtual toss-up in the final days of the contest.
