GOVERNOR’S RACE FINANCES
Fundraising and disbursement totals for the governor’s race through June 30
Bill Haslam (R)
Raised: $8.73 million
Spent: $7.09 million
Self-endorsed loan: $400,000
On hand: $2.04 million
Ron Ramsey (R)
Raised: $2.81 million
Spent: $1.66 million
Self-endorsed loan: $200,000
On hand: $1.35 million
Zach Wamp (R)
Raised: $3.92 million
Spent: $2.68 million
Bank loan: $61,000
On hand: $1.29 million
Mike McWherter (D)
Raised: $1.46 million
Spent: $895,731
Self-endorsed loan: $1 million
On hand: $1.57 million
Source: Campaign finance reports
NASHVILLE — Bill Haslam continued to dominate fundraising and spending in Tennessee’s Republican gubernatorial primary last quarter, filings show, but the Knoxville mayor and multimillionaire for the first time is throwing in some of his own money.
Mr. Haslam’s latest state Registry of Election Finance disclosure shows he raised $1.68 million from supporters’ contributions between April 1 and June 30.
But on June 9, Mr. Haslam, whose family owns Pilot Corp., which runs a national chain of interstate travel centers, injected $400,000 of his own money into the campaign.
The mayor told reporters on Monday that he was the last candidate to put in his own money or make a loan to his campaign. He isn’t ruling out putting in more, he said.
“We have said we’re willing to do that,” said Mr. Haslam, who is running against Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, for the GOP nomination.
Early voting begins Friday, and candidates are ramping up for an all-out effort before the Aug. 5 election.
Mr. Haslam reported spending $3.5 million in the second quarter, including $2.54 million for television and radio ads. He reported having $2.04 million in cash on hand as of June 30.
Total Haslam fundraising during the 2010 election cycle has hit the $8.7 million mark. He has spent $7.09 million, which includes a total of $3.57 million in advertising and production costs.
“Just because somebody’s got a lot of money, they can create a candidate and spend, you know, $20 million or $30 million convincing people that he’s somebody that he’s not,” Rep. Wamp, a Chattanoogan, said of Mr. Haslam. “He’s not what he says on guns. He’s not what he says he is on taxes.”
Rep. Wamp reported raising $838,974 in the second quarter and spending $1.73 million, with $1.41 million going for television advertising and cost of production. He had $1.29 million in cash on hand as of June 30, records show.
Over the course of the campaign, he has raised $3.92 million and spent $2.68 million, records show, and he also took out a $61,000 loan.
Lt. Gov. Ramsey said that, when it comes to the Haslam campaign, “I am fighting a zmachine gun with a derringer.”
“If I had $8 million, let me assure you this race would be over right now, and yet he (Haslam) hasn’t been able to pull away from us,” Lt. Gov. Ramsey said.
In the second quarter, the lieutenant governor reported raising $278,257, the lowest amount of any of the three Republican candidates as well as Democrat candidate Mike McWherter.
As the state Senate speaker, Lt. Gov. Ramsey was hampered by a ban on fundraising during the legislative session. The Legislature adjourned on June 10.
He reported spending $1.13 million, including $873,705 on TV ads and production costs, with an ending cash balance of $1.35 million.
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
Haslam is the man with the plan . Well at lease that's what his money is saying from his deep pockets to fund this win for himself !
I checked out his TV ad out the other night and he seem to have it together as far as a person with a vision for this state.
Zach Wamp you have a much better chance going back and running as Gov of Georgia then here in TN. The money lines run deep and they don't charge cheap to be at the top of the Gov heap.
Zach Wamp has had a great career on the "Hill" and he should be very proud of that as asevent in public office.
But Zachy......!.....Haslam has the cash to make other folks dash when he wont's a spot in the cott.
Zach Wamp has had a great career on the "Hill" and he should be very proud of that as a servent in public office.
But Zachy......!.....Haslam has the cash to make other folks dash when he wont's a spot in the cott.
I can say these things because Zach has spoke to me before and he knows me well.
Haslam is a RINO. That's short for "Republican In Name Only."
Wamp is a Washington DC neo-conservative who broke his term limit pledge and voted for the TARP bailout, not a real conservative.
Ramsey isn't perfect, but he's clearly the best of the lot.
Or login with:
New Account