Independent gov. candidate Hatley boasts bigger coffers than Rose, Blackburn

NASHVILLE — Carter County native and independent candidate for Tennessee governor David Hatley reported over $5.7 million in his campaign account, according to filings submitted Thursday. Hatley's hefty, entirely self-funded war chest has him surpassing the cash-on-hand of both governor's office frontrunners — U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, and U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn. Rose and Blackburn have each spent millions of dollars battling one another for the Republican nomination for governor, a battle that has grown ripe with PAC-funded attack advertisements with the primary election only days away. Thursday's filings show the Blackburn campaign with a $2.7 million balance, with Rose at about $660,000. Hatley, an entrepreneur and owner of the Johnson City-based hot tub manufacturer LPI, has pledged to reject any funds from political action committees, special interest groups and even individual donors. Hatley has self-funded the entirety of his campaign with $7 million in loans, and his filings show he's even refunded thousands in donations from individuals. It's a strategy similar to Rose's, who has injected $13 million of his own funds into his campaign — though Rose has not turned down donations from PACs and individuals. Hatley is running on a platform emphasizing affordable housing, improving education outcomes and reducing recidivism, among other policy points. Expenses Hatley looks to be stepping up his campaign efforts as Tennesseans begin to turn their sights to the November general election. Hatley's spent a total of $1.3 million so far on his campaign — most of that occurring this month. Hatley spent only about $259,000 from January through June. But in July alone, Hatley's campaign spending more than tripled, to $999,000. His July spending was focused mostly on advertisements, which accounted for $835,000. TV ads were the most expensive of those purchases. He's also spent $197,000 on consulting services for his campaign; $60,000 on signs and printing; and $27,000 on campaign workers.