While politics can often divide a community, Zach Wamp, eight-term Congressman and candidate for governor in 2010, hopes it can help bring the community together.

"I was talking with Denver Cole (Cumberland County Election Commissioner) earlier and he told me about some of the conflicts in the community," Wamp told the Chronicle Monday. "One of my goals is to try to pull Republicans together in Cumberland County. A campaign can pull the party together around a shared set of principles and goals, and maybe even a candidate."

Wamp has been traveling the state since January of this year, visiting 53 of Tennessee's 95 counties. He hopes to visit every county in the state before the election in November 2010. The primary will be held in August 2010.

"I've been at this six months already," Wamp said. "The bad part of constant campaigning is the voters and donors get weary. The good part of a long campaign is the candidates are more knowledgeable and, if they are smart, they listen and learn what the major challenges are and try to find solutions."

While Wamp said he was still in the process of listening, learning and leading, he had developed a platform for his campaign that focuses on a vision for the state in the year 2020.

"The next governor is going to be able to shape what our state looks like in 2020," Wamp said.

His platform includes developing jobs and industry; improving education; and health care.

"While Tennessee's unemployment rate continues to climb, we need dynamic leadership centered in the production agenda," Wamp said. "I have this mantra that is someone doesn't build it, make it or grow it, you can't service it or sell it. Any economic development program needs to include production in agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure."

Wamp noted Tennessee is currently third in automotive industry in the country and third in green energy jobs. He pointed to his involvement with the Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor which has targeted transportation and energy for new industrial growth.

"The success in the past year speaks for itself, with Volkswagen and Wacker Chemical making $1 billion investments and bringing 15,000 jobs in the next three years," Wamp said. "In both cases, it is making us more resilient. We need that same kind of leadership in Middle and West Tennessee."

Wamp believes the state could become first in the country in automotive and green technologies.

He said agriculture holds tremendous promise with the development of biofuels and to expand in the commodities industry.

"Agriculture is key as we try to lead on some of these sectors like energy," Wamp said. "And the commodities sector of soybean in the west and tobacco in the east are still staples of our economy and needs attention to bring about growth."

In education, Wamp believes reading skills are the cornerstone of improved educational opportunities.

"It's the one issue that is connected to every other," Wamp said. "Step one is basic reading."

Wamp said children need to read proficiently earlier. He said reading comprehension is not tested by the state until the third grade, but in many cases, that is too late.

"The communities and school systems that are succeeding are the ones that are bench marking in kindergarten to determine if a child is reading proficiently," Wamp said. "If a child is not, they are pulled out for extra instruction. When we start reading for content in the third grade, if they aren't reading well, they are behind."

Poor reading skills affect all other school subjects as well, he said.

"It's essential we establish community-based programs that are in addition to pre-K and Head Start that have a grassroots foundation for reading," Wamp said.

Tennessee currently ranks 42nd in the country in education.

"If we want to move upward, we have to attack reading issues early," he said.

Wamp said education went beyond kindergarten through 12th grade, saying it was a "cradle to the grave" process. He said support needs to be added for workforce development and to help workers train for careers with new skills and technology requirements.

In health care, Wamp said prevention and education were vital, along with controlling costs in the TennCare program.

"The main thing on health is prevention, especially in Tennessee where we have teenagers with type II diabetes, chronic obesity and hypertension," Wamp said. "We have a drug problem that has to be addressed, with legal drugs being misused and misapplied."

The state is also facing issues with infant mortality and teen pregnancy.

"We need to focus on prevention and wellness. That involves nutrition, physical activity," Wamp said. "We over medicate Tennesseans at every age. We have the highest per capita use of prescription medication in the nation."

Wamp said it would take schools, communities and families working together to improve the health of all Tennesseans.

"TennCare has to be managed well, because there is a lot of waste and it continues to gobble up more and more of the state budget," Wamp said. "Looking at reforming TennCare is essential."

Wamp said one thing that would help lower health care costs is tort reform to limit liability.

Wamp said he has the experience to lead the state in the coming years, pointing to his record of leadership in Congress.

"I've been consistent over 15 years in Congress on issues that are important to all Tennesseans — life, marriage, guns and immigration," Wamp said.

The state continues to suffer from budget issues as the sales tax dips in the economic downturn. Wamp said regardless of the economic situation, the state did not need an income tax.

"We do not need additional tax," Wamp said. "We have more government in Tennessee than most people think we have."

Wamp said the state government had grown 76 percent since 2000. Inflation has only risen 28 percent during that time.

"When we change over from this administration to the next, first order of business should be a top-to-bottom review of what is essential and necessary," Wamp said. "If you talk to the cabinet officials, they will tell you through the last two administrations, government continued to grow and positions were added, duplication came about. We don't have as efficient a state government as we could have."

While reducing the size of government would assist in managing the state budget, Wamp said growing the economy would also be important.

"You've got to grow the economy to generate additional revenue when you know you aren't going to increase taxes, because you can't and you shouldn't," Wamp said. "We have revenue coming in and government has grown beyond the revenue. Sometimes, you've got to cut the budget."

Wamp, who has served 15 years in Congress, said the decision to run for governor was made after talking with his family. His son, who graduated from the University of Tennessee in May, and his daughter, who is currently attending UT, both advised him to make this his last term in office.

"My children said they hoped my eighth term would be my final term because they have watched people in Congress all their lives and that some people in Congress stay longer than they should," Wamp said. "There's always a hundred reasons why you have to stay. But they said they would like to see me make this my last term and not stay too long."

With that decision made, he said he still wanted to work to help the state.

"I've always been motivated by impact than money or power. To have the most impact at this precious second in time called my life, how can I use it to help the people of this state?" Wamp said. "The decision was made to run for governor and to offer myself and my family in service to the state. You don't just get a governor, you get a first lady and a team."

Wamp plans to continue campaigning throughout the state. For more information, Wamp has a campaign Web site at www.zachwamp.com.