David Hatley

David Hatley is a candidate for Governor Tennessee Primary Election in 2026 in Statewide, Tennessee.

Businessman and manufacturing executive in Gray, TN

Also running: Marsha Blackburn, Monty Fritts, John Rose, Carnita Atwater, Tim Cyr, Jerri Green, Adam "ditch" Kurtz, Kevin Lee Mccants, Misam Abidi, Dean Brewer, Ray Brown, Wendell Jackson, Charles Van Morgan, Eddie Lee Murphy, Lauren Pinkston, Victor L. Scoggin, Dave Seeman, Karl Knox Smithson, L. Webb Taylor, Robert C. Vick.

David Hatley is an Elizabethton-born entrepreneur and manufacturing executive running for Governor of Tennessee in 2026 as an Independent. He built nine companies over three decades, holding seven patents, and created over 750 jobs by keeping manufacturing operations in East Tennessee, including a leading hot tub manufacturer. He champions profit-sharing with employees and built a 740,000 sq ft manufacturing base. His "Elevate Tennessee" platform focuses on economic expansion, workforce development, and strengthening manufacturing and domestic supply chains. He emphasizes his background as a builder, not a bureaucrat, to make Tennessee the best place to live, work, and prosper.