NASHVILLE - Nearly three out of four Tennessee adults have no idea who is running for governor, a new poll finds.
The Middle Tennessee State University's College of Mass Communication poll found 73 percent of adults couldn't name any gubernatorial candidates when asked to list as many as they could recall.
Nineteen percent named Republican Bill Haslam, the Knoxville mayor, giving him what MTSU poll officials said was the "dubious" distinction of being the "least unknown" among the four Republican and two Democrats candidates.
Ten percent of poll respondents named U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. Four percent or less named Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons, former state House Majority Leader Kim McMillan, D-Clarksville, and Democratic businessman Mike McWherter of Jackson.
Mr. Haslam has just concluded what opponents say was a $1 million flurry of television and radio advertising that coincided with NBC's coverage of the Olympic games. Advertising heavily on television, the campaign ran from Feb. 12 through Feb. 28. He is the only candidate to have TV ads.
The telephone poll was conducted with 634 adult Tennesseans from Feb. 15-27 by students in the College of Mass Communication at MTSU. The poll has an estimated error margin of plus or minus 4 percent.
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.