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RICHMOND -- Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe kicked off his campaign for governor Wednesday by casting himself as a business-savvy executive who offers a different perspective than the two veteran legislators competing with him for the party's nomination.

In town hall-style meetings in Norfolk, Richmond, Alexandria and Charlottesville, McAuliffe promised to create more jobs than any governor in the country and embraced ideas such as converting chicken waste to energy and requiring tractor-trailers to use the right lane on Interstate 81. He also vowed to donate the governor's $175,000 annual salary to charity if he gets elected, saying, "I don't need it."

McAuliffe's tour resumes today with three stops in Western Virginia, including an 11 a.m. event at the Claude Moore Education Complex in Roanoke.

McAuliffe, 51, built a national profile as a DNC chairman and political ally of former President Clinton and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton. But he played down his partisan identification Wednesday, saying Virginia needs a governor who can "bring people together" to solve problems.

"Our last two governors have had to deal with a lot of economic issues, and they were able to do it because they brought a fresh approach to Richmond," said McAuliffe, referring to Gov. Tim Kaine and his predecessor, Democrat Mark Warner.

McAuliffe said he won't attack his rivals for the Democratic nomination -- state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County and former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria -- but also argued that he offers a different perspective than the two legislators. McAuliffe said his experience in various business endeavors and as DNC leader could produce creative solutions to economic and policy challenges.

"If you're looking at a governor who's going to do the same old things, I'm not your guy," McAuliffe said at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond.

"If you're looking for somebody to come to Richmond, shake it up, big ideas, ready to put on the table things that everybody wants us to talk about, then you should consider me."

The Democratic nominee will be elected in a June primary. Deeds and Moran had been campaigning for months by the time McAuliffe formed a campaign committee in November, compiling endorsements from state and local party leaders.

McAuliffe, a prolific fundraiser who lives in McLean, vowed to build a "massive grass-roots effort" that also could help Democrats in House of Delegates races this year.

"We just hope this is going to be an open and honest debate about how we keep Virginia moving forward and get our economy back on track," said Deeds spokesman Peter Jackson.

Moran stepped down from the House last month to become a full-time candidate, and his campaign continues to promote endorsements from Democratic officials.

"Brian has statewide support because he has a record of statewide leadership," Moran campaign adviser Mame Reiley said in a statement released by the campaign.

Virginia is one of only two states electing governors this year. The contest figures to draw national attention, especially now that president-elect Barack Obama has tapped Kaine as chairman of the DNC. Kaine said this week that he won't endorse a candidate in the primary, but will try to make sure the contest stays "within the bounds of reason."

Attorney General Bob McDonnell has no opposition for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. McDonnell held a fundraiser in Washington on Tuesday night headlined by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, an indication of the national support his campaign is attracting.

McAuliffe said he will aggressively recruit businesses and seek more money for a discretionary fund governors use to offer incentives to business prospects.

He called for greater reliance on alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power and talked about the potential benefits of converting poultry waste into energy.

McAuliffe said the state should not increase taxes during an economic downturn, but he would not "second-guess" Kaine's decision to seek an increase in the cigarette tax. He also said state leaders must have "an honest discussion about revenue" to deal with Virginia's chronic transportation funding problems.

But McAuliffe said some transportation improvements "don't require a lot of money." For instance, he said conditions on Interstate 81 could be improved by requiring heavy trucks to stay in the right lane.

"You know what? We ought to move every truck to the right-hand lane so the cars can pass and we can go about our daily business," McAuliffe said.