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RICHMOND -- Four hopefuls to be Virginia's next governor shared a stage for the first time Tuesday, trading jabs on transportation, taxes, gun laws and other issues in an early preview of the 2009 campaign.

Republican Bob McDonnell joined three Democrats -- state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County, Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe of McLean -- to face questions from state newspaper reporters and editors in a forum sponsored by The Associated Press and hosted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

McDonnell, the state attorney general, faces no opposition for the Republican nomination and said, "I'm going to run hard while these other guys are fighting for the next 6¹₂ months, and I think I'm going to win."

A primary will determine the Democratic nominee, and McAuliffe's entry in the race could dramatically change the playing field. McAuliffe has formed a campaign committee and enlisted advisers, but said he will wait until January to announce whether he'll formally enter the race.

McAuliffe, who ran the national Democratic Party and was chairman of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, is already portraying himself as an outsider who would shake up Richmond with new approaches to problems such as transportation funding.

"I think there's an opportunity for someone who is not from Richmond to come in with some new ideas," McAuliffe said.

Deeds and Moran, both veteran legislators, have cast themselves as allies and logical successors to Gov. Tim Kaine and his Democratic predecessor, Mark Warner. Deeds said his 360-vote loss to McDonnell in the 2005 attorney general race would not weaken his chances of winning next year.

"I'm planning on winning," Deeds said. "I'm planning on running hard in every part of the state."

Moran dismissed suggestions that Deeds' campaign experience and McAuliffe's candidacy and fundraising prowess could hurt him, particularly in his home region of Northern Virginia.

"Virginia's not for sale," Moran said. "This is going to take a great deal of work."

And, in an apparent reference to McAuliffe, Moran said the job will "require a knowledge of Virginia that I possess."

McAuliffe also needled Moran for claiming to be the only hopeful to raise a family and create a business in Northern Virginia. McAuliffe said he had raised his family and started five businesses in the region.

"I wasn't aware of that," Moran said.

"Well, do your research," McAuliffe quipped.

All four hopefuls said the poor economy and the state's budget shortfall will loom large next year and ruled out tax increases as part of a plan to balance the books. Deeds also said lawmakers should minimize cuts to public schools, saying education funding "has to be the last thing that we consider for budget cuts."

The hopefuls agreed the state needs a long-term solution to its chronic transportation problems, but offered little in the way of specifics. Kaine has failed to win legislative support for a package of tax and fee increases for roads and transit. Deeds and Moran criticized McDonnell after the Republican played up his role in forging a compromise on transportation funding in 2007. Key elements of that plan were invalidated by the courts, and controversial "abusive driver" fees were repealed after a public backlash.

Deeds said the transportation plan was "built on straw" and supported it only after Kaine amended the package. Moran tagged McDonnell as part of "an ideological group" of Republicans that has blocked Democratic initiatives to increase funding for transportation, education and other programs.

"It's not always about money, Brian, it's about results," McDonnell said.

McAuliffe butted into the debate to say: "If you're tired of all the quarreling, I'm your guy."

The Democrats said they would support legislation requiring background checks for all firearms purchased at gun shows. Committees in both houses defeated bills last year to close the so-called "gun show loophole" that allows unregulated private sales. McDonnell has opposed such legislation and said other steps should be taken to curtail gun violence.

Deeds had opposed similar measures until this year, when he met with families of Virginia Tech shooting victims who supported the legislation. He supported the bill after amending it to exempt buyers with concealed-carry permits and those buying antique weapons from the background checks.

Deeds said parents of the Tech shooting victims came to him with their "hearts in their eyes and in their mouth."

"I felt the need to respond to that," he said.