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Official Media Kit · 2026
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Bio, key facts, proof points, approved photography, and logo files — all in one PDF, ready for publication.
BIOGRAPHY
About David Hatley
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David Hatley is an independent candidate for Governor of Tennessee and a lifelong Tennessean who has spent thirty years building businesses, creating jobs, and proving that the values of hard work and perseverance can produce results that last.
Born and raised in Elizabethton in Carter County, Hatley grew up without advantage or inheritance. He started his first business at age twelve and opened his first retail store at eighteen — no degree, no investors, no blueprint. What he had was discipline and a refusal to accept that where he started determined where he’d end up.
Over the next three decades, Hatley built nine companies, secured seven patents, created 750 Tennessee jobs, and grew his manufacturing operations to 740,000 square feet — all on American soil. His flagship company became the number one hot tub manufacturer in the United States. He never moved a single job overseas.
In 2024, following a conversation with his wife Deborah, Hatley announced his candidacy for Governor of Tennessee as an independent. His platform — Elevate Tennessee — is built on four pillars: economic growth through manufacturing, workforce development from the ground up, fiscal responsibility without political theater, and leading with compassion to improve the quality of life for all Tennesseans.
He lives a few miles from where he grew up. He is married to Deborah, is the father of three sons — Storm, Hudson, and Branson — and daughter Channing.
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COMPANIES FOUNDED
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SQ FT TN MANUFACTURING
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YEARS BUILDING IN TENNESSEE
"I'm not running because politics called me. I'm running because Tennessee gave me everything — and I'm not willing to sit on the sidelines any longer."
David Hatley, Independent Candidate for Governor · Tennessee 2026
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