McAuliffe, Considering Va. Gov. Run, Signs Former Warner and Kaine Aide

Terry McAuliffe, the boisterous former Democratic Party chairman, has hired veteran communications aide Mo Elleithee to help him with a possible 2009 Virginia gubernatorial bid.

Elleithee served as a press secretary during Mark Warner’s (D) successful 2001 campaign and as the communications director during Tim Kaine’s (D) bid four years later, Chris Cillizza notes. Most recently, Elleithee served in the press shop for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) campaign. McAuliffe was one of Clinton’s lead fundraisers and was a tireless surrogate for her on cable talk shows.

Elleithee said that McAuliffe would decide on whether to run after this November’s elections, the Associated Press reported.