Gov. hopeful Hatley heads home for wrap up rallies

Entrepreneur and independent gubernatorial candidate David Hatley came home to Northeast Tennessee Monday for a couple of final rallies, saying his upstart campaign has shown "what a good ol' Carter County boy can do when he lives his life the right way." His populist message, which he said he's delivered at 41 rallies in three weeks across the state, resonated with two area voters who came out to see him at a lunch hour event in Gray. Piano teacher Melody Cook had traveled from Rogersville after following Hatley's campaign and platform online and liking what she saw. "I was really impressed by his willingness to share where he's come from and what he wants to do, and that he seems to be a person of integrity that's wanting to move forward for Tennesseans and not just for following the party line," Cook said. The self-described independent said she'd vetted Democrat Jerri Green and Republican Marsha Blackburn but found Hatley's focus on areas like affordability, money in politics and improving the state's education system and manufacturing capabilities appealing. "I was looking at which one aligns most closely with my values and is actually going to try to do the things I would want done," Cook said. She said Hatley's calls to end the state sales tax on groceries, cap local property tax increases and focus on healthcare affordability personally resonated with her. Tennessee gubernatorial candidate David Hatley meets with supporter Melody Cook at a rally in Johnson City Monday, Nov. 2. JEFF KEELING/SIX RIVERS MEDIA "My property taxes went up, grocery tax hits me, and I have a hard time making it from one month to the next," she said. Greene Countian and Carter County native Kenneth Hoss said he normally votes Republican but thinks Blackburn should complete her second U.S. Senate term, which has four years remaining. As for Hatley, Hoss said he "likes the fact that he's made it in the business world on his own. I love that idea. And the fact that he's from Carter County. That helps." Hatley owns an expanding array of manufacturing businesses that produce everything from hot tubs and electric golf carts to boats and "utility terrain vehicles" at facilities in Johnson City and elsewhere in the U.S. He's put $12 million into his campaign. Hatley peppered a speech running around 30 minutes with criticisms of money's influence on politicians. He said he's self-funding his campaign because "somebody needs to go to Nashville that doesn't have a side agenda … has a work ethic that is nonstop, that will put their boots on, get their first thing in the morning." He referenced what he said was Blackburn's reliance on 73 different political action committees for fundraising to paint her as owing allegiance to donors. Hatley hit other themes his campaign has consistently touched on, including opposition to school vouchers and support for increasing funding for public K-12 education, emphasizing trade schools and increasing transparency in government contracting. He applauded current Gov. Bill Lee's support for trades but lambasted a tax break that lured Starbucks' corporate headquarters to Nashville. After noting his kids go to public schools, he took dead aim at the state's expanded private school voucher program, saying that expansion occurred after a report suggesting it wasn't producing great results. "We expanded it … again to the governor's friends in Nashville, people who donate to the campaigns. That's who gets a lot of these vouchers. They're getting subsidized by the government to go to private school when the private schools don't even have state regulations." Hatley, who pushed for tax reductions and increased spending for schools and rural healthcare access without getting into how the numbers will work, touted internal polling he said shows him highly competitive. A recent poll had him at 26.5% to Blackburn's 34.5% and Green's 30.1%, and he mentioned an updated poll showing him now at 30%. One of the most recent semi-independent polls, by Republican-aligned Spry Strategies, was Oct. 19 and showed Blackburn at 43.5% among likely voters to Green's 32%, with Hatley at just 11.9%. The self-described conservative said he feels optimistic about making inroads in traditionally Democratic areas like Memphis and Davidson County and mentioned getting "an incredible reception" Sunday at a couple of churches in the Memphis area. "We were doing very well in some of these areas that no one's ever done well in as a Republican, so … that's going to make a difference in this in the numbers tomorrow night." Hatley, who wrapped up his rallies in his hometown of Elizabethton's Covered Bridge Park early Monday evening, plans to watch election returns Tuesday night with supporters in Johnson City.