←All People
Sheila Butt
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Sheila Butt is the incumbent mayor of Maury County, Tennessee, elected August 4, 2022, and sworn in August 30, 2022, succeeding Andy Ogles 1. She is running for re-election in 2026, and the Maury County Republican Party endorsed her in the mayor's race 45. She has said her priorities include controlling growth while preserving the county's character and ensuring new development bears its own infrastructure costs 2.
Background and education
Butt was born November 20, 1951, in Rockford, Illinois 1. She earned a Bachelor of Science cum laude in English with a history minor from East Tennessee State University and completed a 1980 Women's Certificate Program at Bear Valley School of Biblical Studies 1.
Career
Butt co-founded and managed S&S Bovine Images and Tennessee Cattle Business, served as a lecturer at Freed-Hardeman University, and was managing partner of MacInk Printers, Inc. 1. She describes herself as "a former business owner" 2.
Office history
Butt represented District 64 in the Tennessee House of Representatives from January 2011 to January 2019, covering Columbia, Mount Pleasant, and Spring Hill, and served as Republican Majority Floor Leader 1. She has cited hotel/motel tax legislation for Columbia and her 2015 opposition to the federal "Waters of the U.S." rule among her legislative accomplishments 2.
Documented disputes and controversies
In June 2022, during the mayoral campaign, Butt was sued for defamation in Maury County Circuit Court by David Baker, a minister and former volunteer chaplain at the Maury County Jail, over text messages he alleged she sent to a Republican activist; the suit asserted she "acted with actual malice with the intent of harming" him 3. As a state legislator, Butt drew criticism in 2015 for a social media post referencing the "National Association for the Advancement of White People," which she later said she had intended as "National Association for the Advancement of Western Peoples" 1. She also opposed rape and incest exceptions to abortion waiting periods, saying such cases are "not verifiable," and in 2014 called for a state investigation into the Humane Society of the United States' fundraising practices 1.
Family
Butt is married to Stan R. Butt and has three sons 1. One son, Kyle, directs Biblical research at Apologetics Press 1.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
-
State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Butt”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Butt”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Butt”and, if needed, select the applicable position.