NASHVILLE — Republican Bill Gibbons quit the governor’s race Friday, citing an inability to raise enough money to extend his appeal beyond his Shelby County home.
“The problem simply was that we did not have the money to get our message out in the last few months of the political campaign,” said Mr. Gibbons, 60, who is Shelby County’s district attorney general.
His departure narrows the GOP primary field to a three-man race with U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn.; Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville; and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam.
Mr. Gibbons said his campaign needed to raise $2.5 million with $1 million of that coming by the end of 2009. Instead, he raised about $642,000, he said.
Despite extending his deadline for raising the money, it became clear he would not meet his targets, Mr. Gibbons said.