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Wamp courts rural Tennesseans in Carter County visit

Published January 26th, 2010 | 0 Comments

ELIZABETHTON — U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp indicated Tuesday that if he can’t win Tennessee’s GOP gubernatorial nomination in Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s Sullivan County back yard, he’ll take as many political side yards as possible.

Wamp tried to woo a Blackberry crowd — about 50 Carter County Republicans at Blackberry Antiques off cold Highway 19-E — with a pitch that he will pay attention to rural Tennesseans and their elected officials if he is elected governor.

Wamp predicted he’ll win over Carter County in the August GOP primary much like fellow Chattanooga Republican Bob Corker did with a 2-to-1 election margin over Democrat Harold Ford Jr. in Tennessee’s 2006 U.S. Senate race.

“All I need is just a majority,” Wamp said in between bites of soup beans and bear meat at the old antique shop. “I’m going to come out of East Tennessee really, really strong. ... If you look at all the counties around Knoxville and Chattanooga that I represent and support, and they know me, and then you get up here outside of Sullivan County, where Ramsey is from, I’m going to do real well in these counties.”

Besides Ramsey, Wamp’s Republican competition includes Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons.

Wamp insisted state government has been “playing defense” by managing a tight budget but doesn’t have a long-term vision.

“I’m grateful we have the first Republican legislature since Reconstruction, but they need a leader,” Wamp said.

Wamp pledged to focus on rural economic development, including developing broadband access in underserved areas.

“The rural counties are the ones with the biggest challenges,” Wamp said. “The mind-set in Nashville when I’m governor is ‘It ain’t a day trip. Count on going there and staying. Don’t just go to Knoxville, turn around and come home. Go to Upper East Tennessee and camp out, and camp out until things are better.’ ... We need broadband in all these rural counties so we can connect with the world.”

Wamp opened his remarks saying how glad he was to be in the “home of my Republican speaker of the House” — self-proclaimed Carter County Republican Kent Williams.

Williams was stripped last year of his GOP party affiliation by the Tennessee Republican Party after his surprise election as House speaker with the votes of himself and 49 Democratic lawmakers.

By law, Williams will have to seek re-election to his House seat as an independent, but he does not appear to have an opponent at this point.

Former Carter County GOP Chairman Luther McKeehan said he didn’t know how Wamp’s support of Williams will resonate with county Republicans.

“I know some people have been upset with Kent,” said McKeehan. “A lot of people have sympathy for him. They like him bucking the party in Nashville. Having a (House) speaker is good for Carter County, but ... you have to be truthful in what you say. I don’t say he wasn’t truthful, but I got word that he had said he would support another member for that position (House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol).”

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