Marco Rubio gaining GOP endorsements in Tennessee despite being massively outspent by Ted Cruz

In this Sept. 27, 2013 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., center, accompanied by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Cruz's campaign is spending nearly 10 times as much money as Rubio's in Chattanooga, but Rubio has picked up key GOP endorsements in the state. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) In this Sept. 27, 2013 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., center, accompanied by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Cruz's campaign is spending nearly 10 times as much money as Rubio's in Chattanooga, but Rubio has picked up key GOP endorsements in the state. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

By Andy Sher February 25, 2016 5 min read

NASHVILLE – Republican Gov. Bill Haslam

endorsed GOP presidential hopeful Marco Rubio

Thursday and is featured in the U.S. senator from Florida’s first Tennessee TV ad.

Meanwhile, former Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has endorsed Rubio as well as Tennessee’s GOP establishment begins mobilizing on behalf of Rubio to promote his effort to become the top alternative to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in Tuesday’s Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses in a dozen states.

But a note to the Team Rubio campaign, which is spending $4,000 on the ad in the Chattanooga market: You may need to step up your game.

That’s because GOP rival, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and a Cruz-allied “super PAC” linked to a wealthy Fort Worth money manager are spending nearly ten times as much as the Rubio campaign in the Chattanooga market alone.