Chris D. Chilton

Current office and 2026 campaign

Chris Chilton is the Republican candidate for Hickman County Mayor in the August 6, 2026 general election. He was the only qualified Republican candidate in the May 2026 primary, where he tallied 581 votes ².

Background and education

Chilton is a 40-year resident of Hickman County and owns Clark Containers, a family business established four decades ago in Pinewood. He has said he decided to run for mayor after securing his business's future, and that he is now focused on the county's trajectory as his children enter adulthood ¹.

Legislative record and accomplishments

Chilton has emphasized the need for strategic planning to balance growth with preserving the county's rural character, saying: "People talk about it, but I don't see the fruit of what they say, in the sense that I don't think they have a plan." He has said he opposes losing agricultural land to development and pointed to Spring Hill's sewer moratorium as a cautionary example of resource mismanagement ¹. On working with other government entities, he has said relationships must benefit all parties involved, "if it's not beneficial for both, it's going to die" ¹. Discussing the Duck River and downstream infrastructure impacts, he has said residents cannot simply "pass trash on to the neighbors" ¹. He has said he favors targeted, quality retail development over major chain stores, with the goal of giving residents more reasons to shop locally rather than in Dickson ¹. On governing style, he has said he wants to lead with both forgiveness and accountability, believing officials should be able to learn from mistakes without abandoning mercy ¹.

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