KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp both consider themselves the main challenger to Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam for Tennessee's gubernatorial nomination. And yet they spend a lot of their time preoccupied with each other.

Both Wamp of Chattanooga and Ramsey of Blountville insist they will end up capturing the conservative base of the party. They dismiss any chance that they will recreate the outcome for the two most conservative candidates in the 2006 U.S. Senate primary.

Former U.S. Reps. Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary effectively split the conservative vote in the 2006 Senate primary and were easily defeated by former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, who went on to win the general election.

With less than a year remaining before the election to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, the candidates have been furiously raising money and ramping up their pitches for why they should be the GOP nominee.

Ramsey, who also carries the title of lieutenant governor, said his experience in the General Assembly gives him an advantage over candidates who served only in Congress. Wamp said in a recent interview that he has "a lot more juice, a lot more momentum" than either Hilleary or Bryant.

"Ron Ramsey has served well as lieutenant governor in the Senate," Wamp said. "I will do everything in my power to make sure he stays there."

Wamp added that the prospect of being "a distant third-place finisher" should further help make up Ramsey's mind.

Ramsey is dismissive of Wamp's suggestions that he will struggle for votes or that he might leave the race.

"Zach only wishes I'd get out," Ramsey said. "He knows that's not going to happen. He knows we're vying for the conservative base of the party, and I think in the end they'll break to me."

On the campaign trail Ramsey has recently ramped up his criticism of the federal government – and of Wamp's role as a member of Congress.

"It's going to be hard in the climate we're in to spend 16 years in Washington, D.C., and sell yourself as a fiscal conservative," he said. "That's just impossible to do."

Wamp responded that Ramsey's reasoning is faulty unless he also wants to criticize Tennessee's entire Republican congressional delegation.

Haslam had outraised all other gubernatorial candidates combined through this year's only campaign finance reporting period in July, and has his family's wealth to draw on if Wamp, Ramsey or Memphis prosecutor Bill Gibbons develop into a leading contender.

Gibbons' campaign has focused on law-and-order issues and is counting on strong support in the prosecutor's Shelby County base.

Haslam downplays suggestions that he represents the moderate wing of the state Republican Party.

"Sometimes because you're a business person, people say 'well, he's a business Republican and not a conservative Republican,'" said Haslam, whose father founded the national Pilot Travel Centers chain. "I'm not sure I accept the divide."

"I firmly count myself as somebody who's in the conservative part of the party," he said.

Ramsey and Wamp scoff at that characterization.

"Bob Corker did a very good job of selling himself to the conservative base of the party, and I don't think Bill Haslam's going to be able to do that," said Ramsey.

Wamp charges that Haslam is weak on guns and abortion issues and agues that the governorship "shouldn't go to the highest bidder."

The next round of campaign finance reports aren't due until Feb. 1, at which point Ramsey will be in the middle of a fundraising blackout during the legislative session – unless he gets the law changed.

"It's not fair that I'm the only one in this race that can't raise money while we're in session," Ramsey said.

But even if the ban stands, Ramsey said he will have enough money on hand to get trough session for the final sprint to the Aug. 5 primary.

"Obviously I'd like to get it done, but it's not that important," he said.

The July reports showed Haslam raising $3.9 million, Ramsey $1.3 million, Wamp $1.2 million and Gibbons about $416,000. In the meantime, fundraisers have been major activities for all the campaigns.

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