Governor of Tennessee
David Hatley
CandidateIndependent
- Race
- Governor of Tennessee
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponents
- Marsha Blackburn (R); Jerri Green (D); Lauren Pinkston (Independent); Misam Abidi (Independent); Dean Brewer (Independent); Ray Brown (Independent); Wendell Jackson (Independent); Charles Van Morgan (Independent); Eddie Lee Murphy (Independent); Victor L. Scoggin (Independent); Dave Seeman (Independent); Karl Knox Smithson (Independent); L. Webb Taylor (Independent); Robert C. Vick (Independent)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did3 statements · 0 votes
Women’s spaces should be for women — and that includes locker rooms and teams.
Bar transgender women and girls from women's and girls' school sports
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotGovernor
2026-11-03
| Marsha Blackburn R | challenger |
| Jerri Green D | challenger |
| David Hatley Independent | challenger |
| Lauren Pinkston Independent | challenger |
| Misam Abidi Independent | challenger |
| Dean Brewer Independent | challenger |
| Ray Brown Independent | challenger |
| Wendell Jackson Independent | challenger |
| Charles Van Morgan Independent | challenger |
| Eddie Lee Murphy Independent | challenger |
| Victor L. Scoggin Independent | challenger |
| Dave Seeman Independent | challenger |
| Karl Knox Smithson Independent | challenger |
| L. Webb Taylor Independent | challenger |
| Robert C. Vick Independent | challenger |
Independent; qualified by petition.
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
Women’s spaces should be for women — and that includes locker rooms and teams.
His campaign site says letting male-bodied athletes compete in women's categories takes opportunities from girls, and that Tennessee law should reflect that.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
As governor I’d support rewriting that law so lawful handgun carry by law-abiding adults is the default, with restrictions that are specific, narrow, and consistent with Bruen
His campaign site says he would support rewriting Tennessee's handgun-carry law so that lawful carry by law-abiding adults is the default, with narrow restrictions.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
I will hold the program at its current size and publish the data: who is receiving the money, where it is going, and how those students are performing.
His campaign site says he would keep current voucher recipients enrolled but hold the program at its current size and publish data, rather than expand it.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
David Hatley is an independent candidate for governor of Tennessee and a businessman from Gray, in Washington County. He is the owner of Whisper Outdoor, which began by manufacturing hot tubs, and says he has built nine companies; he has not previously run for political office in Tennessee. His campaign presents him as an outsider who is running without a party or donors.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Hatley says he grew up in Elizabethton, in Carter County, with no inheritance or industry connections.[2] His campaign says he started his first business at twelve and opened his first retail store at eighteen.[2]
According to the Tennessee Lookout, Hatley owns Whisper Outdoor, which began manufacturing hot tubs and has expanded to golf carts, boats and off-road vehicles.[3] His campaign says he has built nine companies, holds patents and created about 750 Tennessee jobs, and operates 740,000 square feet of manufacturing in the state; these are campaign figures that have not been independently verified.[1][2] The campaign says that after the 2008 financial crisis he bought his factory equipment back at auction and rehired the employees who wanted to return, and that employees later became owners through an employee stock ownership plan.[2]
Hatley filed his petition from Gray on March 10, 2026.[1] His campaign site lists affordable housing, an independent elected state auditor and an online spending portal among his proposals.[2] A TargetSmart poll of 600 likely voters conducted in mid-September and reported by the Nashville Banner showed Hatley at 10%.[5] The Banner reported that the poll was paid for by the Progress Fund, a political action committee whose only recipient so far has been Democratic nominee Jerri Green.[5]
In their own words
Priorities
- Reading and workforce training: a goal of reaching the top ten nationally in reading within four years, with full-time reading coaches in the state's 100 lowest-performing elementary schools, and doubling registered apprenticeships in four years.[4]
- Eliminating the state sales tax on groceries, paid for by cutting waste in the state budget.[4]
- Creating a state-regulated medical cannabis program.[4]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Protect legal access to abortion
“I’m pro-life.”[4]
Under 'Abortion' on his campaign website
- Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
“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.”[4]
Under 'Immigration' on his campaign website
- Universal, publicly funded child care
“The price is high because there are not enough seats. So the fix is to build more of them.”[4]
Under 'Child Care' on his campaign website
- Loosen zoning rules to build more housing
“Housing: Make It Cheaper to Build the Smaller House.”[4]
Heading of his housing plan on his campaign website
- Expand public health coverage
“Healthcare should be about keeping people healthy, not profiting off them getting sick.”[4]
Under 'Rural Healthcare' on his campaign website
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/david-hatley
Compare all 15 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.David Hatley · The Tennessee Firefly News report
- 2.David Hatley for Governor · Hatley for Governor Candidate's own words
- 3.Spoilers or contenders? Two independent candidates for TN governor try to shake up the race · Tennessee Lookout · 2026-09-15 News report
- 4.David Hatley for Governor · Hatley for Governor Candidate's own words
- 5.New poll says Jerri has closed on Marsha Blackburn · Nashville Banner · 2026-09-18 News report