Wamp promises to spend time in West Tennessee

February 21, 2010

At a “kickoff” event in Jackson last week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Wamp promised he would spend much of his time outside of the capital in West Tennessee to help push the area’s economic development forward.

Often referencing the landing of a Volkswagen plant for an East Tennessee industrial megasite, the congressman said much of what attracted the German automaker to his end of the state could bring industry elsewhere.

“I’ll spend more time in West Tennessee than any part of the state than what you have to do” in Nashville, Wamp said at the kickoff event, relocated on a snowy Monday afternoon to Green Frog Coffee Co. in downtown Jackson.

Last summer, Wamp took some jabs for comments he had made in Jackson about economic development in West Tennessee.

Then, Wamp’s colleague in Tennessee’s House delegation, Democrat John Tanner of Union City, criticized him for telling The Jackson Sun’s editorial board that he thought the Haywood County megasite was “isolated” compared to the one in East Tennessee.

Tanner charged that Wamp’s comment showed “a lack of understanding” about the region and could harm chances of recruiting industry to the site. Other Democrats, including state Sen. Lowe Finney of Jackson, criticized the comment as well.

Following Tanner’s criticism, a Wamp spokesman clarified that his description was “intended to communicate that he pledges as governor that he would make sure that the Haywood County site was successful.”

Neither Wamp nor Tanner will represent Tennessee in the House for another term – Wamp because of the gubernatorial race, Tanner because of retirement.

Wamp also thanked Madison County RepublicanPartyleaders on Monday for this month’s Reagan Day Dinner event, where Wamp won a gubernatorial straw poll.

“I would’ve said that even if I hadn’t won the straw poll,” Wamp joked.

Fincher wins polls

The campaign for the Republican who won Madison County party’s straw poll for the 8th Congressional District race bragged about the victory and two others in a release sent Friday.

An e-mail sent by the congressional campaign for Stephen Fincher, a Frog Jump farmer and gospel singer, proclaimed him “the overwhelming grassroots favorite” in the 8th District primary. Fincher was also victorious in a straw poll in Dyer County and another at Thursday’s Lauderdale County Republican Fish Fry, in which the release says he won nearly two-thirds of the vote.

Fincher has been lauded for his fundraising success, taking in more than $600,000 in the final two quarters of last year, and has been promoted by the national GOP. But he could face stout primary opposition from two physicians, Memphis-area Dr. George Flinn and Jackson Dr. Ron Kirkland.

Kirkland announced earlier this month that he raised $365,000 since officially starting his campaign in January, with none of that figure being self-funded.

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