Wamp at State Capitol

GOP gubernatorial candidate makes brief appearance in legislative plaza

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

Zach Wamp

Congressman Zach Wamp (R-Chattanooga) briefly visited the State Capitol this morning as part of his tour of all of Tennessee's major cities since announcing his candidacy for the 2010 governor's race. Wamp entered the contest shortly after former U.S. Senator Bill Frist said he would not run.

Wamp was already in full campaign stride with his message of "connecting with middle-class voters" and saying that he doesn't "have a corporate jet to fly around on" so he will be campaigning "on wheels and foot."

The references were an obvious swipe at Republican rival and Knoxville Mayor Jim Haslam. Haslam is from a very wealthy East Tennessee family that operates Pilot Oil.

When asked if he was digging into Haslam, Wamp said that he would be running on his own vision, merits and record and would be reaching out to "middle-class Tennessee families." He said the standard bearer of the Republican Party needed to connect with them and not the "wealthy elite."

Wamp then stated he would be outspent in a primary campaign and that, unlike Haslam, a "family meeting" wouldn't raise him the $5 million he think he'll need for the primary. He took one last swing and said that he wouldn't be getting money from the "Nantucket club" types.

Asked about the billboards that have lined Tennessee interstates over the course of the last year and whether they were paid for with contributions to his federal campaign, Wamp said that they were located at "access points" to his district and claimed that they were well within federal and state election guidelines.

He said that if any billboards were still up, it was due to the fact that the billboard company has not resold the space. His contract for the signs has run its course.

The election for governor is almost two years away, but according to Wamp, Frist's announcement forced him and others to go ahead and declare their candidacy. Other Republican candidates that have already announced are Haslam and Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons.