David
Hatley

As of Oct. 11, polling data tracked by US Polling Data showed Hatley at approximately 10% in the governor's race. Separately, Ground News reported on a Republican state senator supporting Blackburn over Hatley, citing reasons conservatives may not have considered.

In a Local 3 interview, Hatley said Tennessee's execution procedures needed a 'complete reset,' called for investigating lethal injection problems and researching alternatives, and said he was 'not a fan of the electric chair.' On taxes, he vowed to keep Tennessee a no-income-tax state.

Hatley's campaign website outlined goals including top-ten national reading results within four years, reading coaches in 100 low-performing elementary schools, expanded apprenticeships, improved rural emergency care, and investments in mental health and addiction recovery.

Local 3 reported disagreement over whether Democratic candidate Jerri Green would participate in a Tennessee Press Association gubernatorial forum scheduled for Oct. 27. Green's team told the station she had accepted. Hatley and Pinkston were expected to participate.

Coverage of Sen. Bowling's endorsement of Hatley spread across multiple outlets including the Tennessee Bar Association and SuperTalk 929, highlighting the significance of a Republican breaking ranks to back an independent candidate.

Republican state Sen. Janice Bowling of Tullahoma endorsed Hatley for governor, breaking with her party's nominee Blackburn. She said, 'I'm voting for David for governor of Tennessee.' News coverage noted Republican Party rules could put her party standing at issue.

David Hatley brought his campaign for governor to Memphis, making his debut in that city as an independent candidate in the 2026 Tennessee governor's race.

The Tennessean reported that a Hatley business in Johnson City was spray-painted with 'Drop Out or Die' and an anarchy symbol. Hatley condemned the message, saying rhetoric calling for political assassination has no place in Tennessee, and called for civil debate.

Hatley offered to donate $1 million to three Tennessee charities if Blackburn agreed to debate him and Green. As of Sept. 29, Blackburn had not agreed.

A Tennessean opinion piece argued that Hatley deserves to be on the ballot for governor, referencing a dispute over the 25-signature requirement for independent candidates, though no finding of wrongdoing by Hatley was established.

Hatley is financing his campaign substantially through personal loans totaling $7 million in reported receipts through a pre-primary report dated July 30, with $1,258,629 spent. He is listed among 15 independent gubernatorial candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot.

News outlets reported that Blackburn's campaign paid for a website attacking Hatley over his 1998 felony conviction related to bad checks. Hatley described the conduct as a mistake from when he was 21 trying to keep his first business afloat.

A TargetSmart survey of 600 likely voters fielded Sept. 9–12 showed Marsha Blackburn at 45%, Jerri Green at 36%, Hatley at 10%, Lauren Pinkston at 2%, and 7% undecided. A separate Beacon Center poll had 8% for an unnamed independent.

David Hatley received a 1998 felony conviction related to bad checks. He has described it as a mistake from when he was 21 and trying to keep his first business afloat. Blackburn's campaign later paid for an attack website highlighting this conviction.