David Hatley

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.[1][2][4] His campaign presents him as an outsider who is running without a party or donors.[2]

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.[4] 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%.[3] 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.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.