Republican TN state senator spurns party, backs independent candidate Hatley

​A Tennessee Republican state senator is backing a conservative independent candidate for governor, spurning her party and leading to speculation about her future.

​State Sen. Janice Bowling, a Tullahoma Republican, endorsed independent gubernatorial candidate David Hatley in a social media post Saturday.

​“A lot of the people in my district wanted me to meet [Hatley],” said Bowling in a video posted on Hatley for Governor’s Facebook page, adding she met with him privately and was “pleased” to endorse him.

​Tennessee will elect a new governor in November to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee. In August, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn won a three-way contested Republican primary, and Memphis city council member Jerri Green won the Democratic primary for governor.

Hatley and Lauren Pinkston are the two most prominent independent candidates running for Tennessee’s top job.

​Hatley, a Washington County businessman, has described himself as “very conservative,” but because of a past felony conviction, he never met the bona fide requirements to run as a Republican.

​Hatley has invested at least $7 million of his own money in the race, running on an outsider message.

​Bowling, 79, has served in the Tennessee Senate since 2013 and won reelection in 2024.

​The Tennessee Republican Party’s rules prevent a Republican from endorsing anyone besides the party’s candidates after the primary, leaving open the possibility that Bowling could become ineligible to receive the GOP nomination if she runs for reelection in 2028.

Scott Golden, the chair of the Tennessee Republican Party, said in a statement that failure to stand behind the party’s nominees “absolutely endangers” any Republican’s good standing with the party.

“We encourage Republicans to compete in the primaries and expect differences, but after the primary, we come together as one family to support the winner,” Golden said.

Bowling could also be removed from the state Senate caucus, impacting the succession fight as Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, steps down as state Senate speaker later this year.

​The race to replace McNally pits Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, a Franklin Republican, against Sen. Paul Bailey, a Sparta Republican. Neither man has appeared to lock up enough votes so far to lead the chamber.

J. Holly McCall contributed to this story.