Chaz Molder

Current office and 2026 campaign

Chaz Molder currently serves as the Mayor of Columbia, Tennessee, a position he first won in 2018 and was re-elected to in 2022 ²⁴. He is running for election to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District ¹³. Molder officially launched his campaign on September 4, 2025, at Hattie Jane’s Creamery in Columbia, aiming to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Representative Andy Ogles ⁷⁹¹¹.

The Democratic Party has identified Molder as a priority candidate for the race, providing him with organizational and fundraising support through the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ¹³. In February 2026, reports indicated that Molder held a significant financial advantage over other candidates in the district, including the incumbent ⁶. By April 17, 2026, Molder announced a fundraising total of $1.81 million since the start of his campaign, which included a $601,000 haul for the first quarter of 2026 ³¹⁴.

Molder is scheduled to appear on the Democratic primary ballot on August 6, 2026, with the general election set for November 3, 2026 ¹. He self-describes his campaign as leveraging his experience as a mayor who has passed seven balanced budgets without property tax increases while investing in education and public safety ⁴⁵. Molder states that his mayoral tenure provides a "front-row perspective" to community challenges, contrasting his approach with Ogles' record ⁷⁹.

Background and education

Chaz Molder was born and raised in Columbia, Tennessee ². He is a product of Columbia’s public schools ⁵. Molder attended the University of Tennessee for his undergraduate studies and later graduated from the University of Memphis College of Law ².

Career

Chaz Molder is a graduate of Columbia’s public schools and holds degrees from the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis law school ²⁵. He returned to Columbia in 2009 to practice law and raise his family ². As an attorney, he has built a reputation for community engagement prior to his entry into elected office ⁵.

Molder was elected Mayor of Columbia in 2018, becoming the youngest mayor in Tennessee at the time and the youngest in the city’s history ²⁴⁵. He secured re-election in 2022 by wide margins against the local chair of the Maury County Republican Party ⁴⁵. During his tenure as mayor, which he holds until December 31, 2026, Molder has passed seven consecutive balanced budgets without increasing property taxes while investing in education and public safety ⁴⁵¹⁰. He self-describes his mayoral approach as focusing on bipartisan progress and local issues ⁴⁷.

Office history

Chaz Molder was elected Mayor of Columbia in 2018, becoming the youngest mayor in Tennessee at the time and the youngest in the city's history.²⁴ He served a four-year term, during which he passed seven balanced budgets without increasing property taxes and invested in education and public safety.⁴⁵ Molder was re-elected to a second term in 2022, defeating the local chair of the Maury County Republican Party by a wide margin in a county that supported Donald Trump by over 45 points.²⁴ As of May 2026, he continues to hold the office of Columbia City Mayor until December 31, 2026.¹⁰

Molder announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District on September 4, 2025, challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles.⁷⁹¹¹¹² The primary election is scheduled for August 6, 2026, and the general election is set for November 3, 2026.¹ National Democrats have identified Molder as a priority candidate in this race.¹³

Legislative record and accomplishments

As Mayor of Columbia, Molder has overseen the passage of seven consecutive balanced budgets without increasing property taxes ⁴⁵. His legislative record as mayor includes investments in education and public safety, as well as efforts to save local landmarks or infrastructure, which he describes as part of his focus on bipartisan progress through local issues ⁴⁵.

Molder has not held federal office prior to his 2026 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives, so there is no federal legislative record, committee assignments, or congressional voting history to report. He self-describes his mayoral experience as providing a "front-row perspective to the needs and challenges our communities face," contrasting this with incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles ⁷⁹.

Documented disputes and controversies

Molder launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District on September 4, 2025, explicitly targeting incumbent U.S. Representative Andy Ogles ⁹¹¹. During the announcement event at Hattie Jane’s Creamery, Molder criticized Ogles’ connection to the district, stating that the congressman had "forgotten who sent him there" and appeared more interested in partisan politics than constituent service ⁷⁹. The Nashville Banner characterized the race as a bid to unseat the "controversial Republican" ⁹.

The two candidates share a prior political rivalry from their time as mayors of linked communities; both were first elected to their respective mayoral offices in 2018, with Molder serving Columbia and Ogles serving Maury County ⁹. Molder’s entry into the race was preceded by weeks of speculation, during which he confirmed he was "strongly considering" a run as a Democrat ⁸. National Democrats subsequently identified Molder as a priority candidate for the seat, providing organizational and fundraising support through the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ¹³.

Molder has drawn national attention in the race due to his financial resources. By April 17, 2026, he had raised $1.81 million over seven months, including a $601,000 haul in the first quarter of 2026 ³¹⁴. This total made him the leading Democratic fundraiser in the 5th, 6th, and 7th Districts since 2016, excluding Rep. Aftyn Behn’s special election funds ¹⁴. The Tennessee Lookout reported that Molder held a "whopping financial advantage" over other candidates in the district, including incumbent Ogles ⁶.

Molder has framed his campaign around his record as Columbia’s mayor, self-describing as a candidate who can help fix a "broken Congress" by applying local governance experience to federal issues ⁴. He cites passing seven balanced budgets without property tax increases and investing in education and public safety as key achievements during his tenure ⁵. Molder states that his mayoral role provides a "front-row perspective" on community challenges, contrasting this with his view of Ogles’ congressional record ⁷⁹.

Business interests and wealth source

Chaz Molder is an attorney who returned to Columbia in 2009 to practice law and pursue a political career ². He self-describes his professional background as rooted in this legal practice alongside his public service roles ². Prior to his congressional campaign, Molder served as the Mayor of Columbia from 2018 through at least December 31, 2026 ¹⁰. As mayor, he passed seven balanced budgets without increasing property taxes while investing in education and public safety ⁵.

Molder holds a significant financial advantage in his bid for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. He announced a fundraising haul of $601,000 for the first quarter of 2026, bringing his seven-month total to $1.81 million ¹⁴. This amount is the highest raised by any candidate in Tennessee’s 5th, 6th, or 7th Congressional Districts since 2016, excluding Rep. Aftyn Behn’s special election fundraising ¹⁴. Molder’s war chest exceeds that of other candidates in the race, including incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles ⁶.

Molder is a product of Columbia’s public schools and holds degrees from the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis law school ². He lives in the 5th Congressional District and has stated that his background as a mayor provides him with a "front-row perspective" on community challenges ⁹. His campaign events have included appearances at local businesses such as Hattie Jane’s Creamery, emphasizing his connection to the area’s thriving public square ¹¹.

Family

Molder’s father-in-law is longtime Democratic state Representative Craig Fitzhugh ⁷. Molder states that he returned to Columbia in 2009 with the goal of "raising a family," though specific details regarding his spouse or children are not provided in available sources ².

Sources