Judge orders Hatfield certified, placed on ballot
POST faces March 4 deadline to show cause as to why it will not comply
2:52 p.m. Feb. 24, 2026
Chancery Court Chancellor J.B. Cox ordered the POST Commission to certify Moore County Sheriff Tyler Hatfield, and his name be on the Aug. 6 general election ballot.
DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor
Moore County Chancery Court Chancellor J.B. Cox has ordered that Moore County Sheriff Tyler Hatfield be certified for the Aug. 6 General Election and directed state and local officials to comply within strict court-set deadlines.
The order comes in response to a lawsuit filed Feb. 20 in Chancery Court by Hatfield after the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission declined to certify him based on an alleged missed filing deadline. Hatfield’s petition asserts that he complied with election requirements and that conflicting official guidance and published notices led to the dispute.
Under Tennessee law, sheriff candidates must receive POST certification before their names may appear on the ballot. According to the filing, Hatfield submitted his required documentation – including an affidavit and psychological evaluation – to POST on Feb. 13, after following what he believed was the correct timeline based on notices published outside the Election Commission office and on the Observer website.
Hatfield’s petition notes that 2026 is the first year Moore County has held primary elections for county offices. He says Moore County Administrator of Elections Jim Sanders advised him in December 2025 that, because he planned to run as an independent, he could follow the general election timeline rather than an earlier primary deadline.
In his ruling, Chancellor Cox ordered the POST Commission to certify Hatfield. The Commission has until 4 p.m. March 4 to show cause as to why it will not comply with the order.
Moore County sheriff candidate William Raline also has until 4 p.m. March 4 to file a response in the matter.
In addition, Cox directed Sanders to place Hatfield’s name on the Aug. 6 general election ballot. Sanders has until 4 p.m. March 11 to show cause as to why he will not abide by the court’s directive.
