The Zach Wamp campaign said Friday its early strong showing has forced GOP competitor Bill Haslam into an early buy of TV spots.

Wamp officials said, "Next week, Knoxville mayor and wealthy oil executive Bill Haslam will launch a most unusual and early television advertising buy in Tennessee’s gubernatorial race to apparently try and stop the rising momentum of Republican front-runner Zach Wamp.

"According to media analysts, Haslam is buying cable television advertisements in all of the state’s media markets beginning Monday, but has secured broadcast TV advertisements, beginning Friday, Feb.

12, in only one media market in the state – Chattanooga – the home region of Zach Wamp – and an area where polling indicates Wamp enjoys overwhelming support. Media analysts also project that the Haslam media buy during February will likely cost the Haslam campaign close to $500,000 in production and placement costs statewide."

Rep. Wamp said, “It’s awfully early and I think unprecedented for any campaign In Tennessee to be spending so much money for such an early television buy, but I guess I am flattered that the Haslams would feel the need to spend the largest share of their campaign money in my home market.

“But they can spend all the money they want in trying to buy this election, but it will not work for them. More so this time than in any time in recent memory, big money is not going to be the determining factor in this election because the people are sick of big money and big special interests, like the oil companies, calling all of the shots.

“Instead, this election is going to be decided by the people - based on ideas, vision, strength and results about who can do the best job for Tennessee - and the fact is after more than a year of campaigning, Bill Haslam has simply not been able to make the case on any of those, which probably explains his desperation in launching such an unusually early TV buy against me.”

The Wamp campaign claims that "according to the only public opinion polls available, Haslam trails Wamp badly across the state. A July 12-13 poll of 500 past GOP primary voters, conducted by the Tarrance Group for the Wamp campaign, found Wamp leading the field with 22 percent support statewide. State Senator Ron Ramsey had 15 percent support. Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons had 14 percent. And Bill Haslam had only 12 percent support statewide. The survey also indicated that Wamp was the only candidate in the GOP race already running first or second in every media market in the state.

"In addition, the only independent survey conducted thus far in the governor’s race by Insider/Advantage, on behalf of the Southern Political Report, also found Zach Wamp ahead with 22 percent - compared to 15 percent for Haslam - 7 percent for Ramsey - and 4 percent for Gibbons. That July 13 Insider/Advantage survey of 604 registered voters looked at the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial primaries and had a 3.8 percent margin of error."