David Hatley (Independent)

- Elizabethton-born businessman based in Upper East Tennessee. Owns Whisper Outdoor, which makes hot tubs, golf carts, boats and off-road vehicles, and says he has built nine companies and created 750 jobs. First run for office.
- Describes himself as "A very conservative guy" who chose to run as an independent to avoid party pressure.
- Wants an elected state auditor to track where state money goes.
- Reading coaches in the state's 100 lowest-performing elementary schools, trade education and apprenticeships, more investment in public schools, and higher teacher pay.
- "Pro-life and pro-guns."
- Plans to spend at least $7 million of his own money and says he will not fundraise.

Affordable Housing

Independent Auditor
- Audit state budget
- Promote transparency

End Pay to Play

Moratorium on Data Centers

Ban Flock Cameras

Life w/o parole for repeat Child Predators

Literacy

Workforce Development

- Tough on Crime but with aim to reform
- Recidivism - Turn Criminals into responsible citizens
- David Hatley’s plan begins re-entry 180 days before the gate opens, not after. Every eligible person leaves with identification in hand, medication and care lined up, a verified address, transportation, and an appointment already on the calendar — a job interview, an apprenticeship, a class, a treatment slot. Mental-health and addiction screening starts at the first contact with the system, not at intake. Drug, mental-health, and veterans courts expand to reach every judicial district, with treatment capacity funded alongside them.
- Put violent criminals behind bars
- Take the Traffickers Down, Pull Tennesseans Back Up.

Restrict foreign land holdings

Parents' rights

Protect kids online
- hold big tech accountable

Rural Healthcare

Pro Life

2nd amendment

Immigration
- Start with the basics: without a secure border, you don’t really have a country. Living here is a privilege, not a free-for-all. Veterans died protecting this country, and we owe them borders that mean something and laws that get enforced.

- Focus is safety. If someone is here illegally and commits violent crimes, they shouldn’t be in our communities, and the state should be working to see they aren’t.

Women in Women’s sports

He has stated his fondness for Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and runs on a platform that targets traditional conservative values.

https://tennesseelookout.com/2026/09/15/spoilers-or-contenders-two-independent-candidates-for-tn-governor-try-to-shake-up-the-race/

According to interviews with the Nashville Banner and reports from the Tennessee Lookout, Hatley originally wanted to run as a Republican. However, the Tennessee Republican Party requires candidates to be "bona fide" members, meaning they must have voted in three of the last four Republican primaries. Because Hatley only had his voting rights restored in late 2025 following a 1998 felony conviction, he did not meet this criteria and had to enter the race as an independent.

https://nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/15/david-hatley-tennessee-governor-campaign/