Weston Wamp and Shelby, his bride of seven months
Weston Wamp announced Monday that he plans to make a second run for the 3rd Congressional District seat that was long held by his father, Zach Wamp.
Making the announcement at the Lamp Post Group at the old Loveman's building, he said he wanted to give voters a choice.
Mr. Wamp was accompanied by his new wife, Shelby, who he said will go on the campaign trail with him.
The candidate called incumbent Chuck Fleischmann "a nice guy, but he has just gone with the flow. He has failed to live up to the standard. There's a better alternative,"
Mr. Wamp said one soldier tried to contact Rep. Fleischmann 20 times until finally reaching him after the quest was publicized.
He said the issue of Chickamauga Lock was "one of his very obvious failures of representation," he stated.
He also said, “America is too great for this Congress to continue to divide our nation and avoid their responsibilities. I want to give the Third District an independent conservative voice and a reason to believe our government can still work and serve the people.”
“This Congress is the least productive and least popular in our nation’s history and for three years now, Chuck Fleischmann has simply gone along with the flow. He has done nothing to change Washington, nor has he been effective as a legislator on behalf of our District. Fleischmann and the 113th Congress have given up on our country and failed to govern. The people of the Third District deserve much better and I will work tirelessly to prove to voters that I will be more accountable, more transparent and more innovative than the status quo.”
Mr. Wamp said, "I just a feel a belief that I am more mature, more prepared, and more ready to serve than I was two years ago."
He said due to the 2012 loss he was able to return to the Lamp Post Group for a couple more years and work on a couple of projects.
Mr. Wamp, who said he is more of an independent Republican said he hopes to raise about half a million dollars for the brief campaign.
He vowed, "I am going to give this thing every last ounce of blood, sweat and tears for the next six and a half months. We will start traveling the district today."
Mr. Wamp is in his fourth year as a founding director and director of communications at Lamp Post Group, a venture incubator starting new small businesses and creating jobs in Chattanooga. He and his wife, Shelby, reside in Lookout Valley.
Congressman Chuck Fleischmann’s campaign responded to Weston Wamp’s campaign announcement.
"Of course Weston Wamp is running. He never stopped running after the 2012 election – except for the few months he thought about running in another Tennessee congressional district. He comes from a family consumed with politics and is simply continuing that tradition; his announcement comes as no surprise," Fleischmann campaign spokesman Jordan Powell said.
"Chuck was re-elected in 2012 to serve the people of Tennessee's Third District - and in the last year he has done that. Whether it has been the 264 events, meetings, and town halls he held and attended, the 242,872 responses, calls, and letters he sent to constituents throughout East Tennessee, his consistent fight against Obamacare, or his 100% pro-life voting record, Chuck has kept his word and served his constituents. He will continue to do the job he was elected to do and is confident the voters will see that."