Charles M. "Chaz" Molder (born August 24,1983) is an attorney and the Mayor of Columbia,Tennessee.[1] When he was sworn in as Mayor in 2019,Molder became the youngest mayor in Columbia's more than 200-year history and was at the time the youngest mayor in the State of Tennessee. He was re-elected for a second term in 2022.[2]
On September 4,2025 Molder announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District,launching his campaign for the 2026 election.[3]
Early life and education
Molder was born at Baptist Hospital in Nashville,Tennessee,on August 24,1983. He was raised in Columbia,Tennessee. His mother worked as a public health nurse,and his father was a job placement director.
Molder attended Columbia's public school system,graduating from Columbia Central High School,where he served as Student Body President.[4] He pursued his undergraduate education at the University of Tennessee,majoring in political science.[5] He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Memphis School of Law. During his time in law school,he participated in various activities,winning the Mock Trial Competition and receiving the Best Oral Advocate Award.[6]
Between degrees,Molder spent a year as a personal aide to then-Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers Paul Summers. [7]
In 2009,Molder returned to Columbia to begin his professional and family life,citing a long-held ambition to "raise a family,practice law,and pursue a political career," a goal he had documented in his high school yearbook. Molder teaches Sunday School each week at the First United Methodist Church in Columbia,the same church he grew up attending as a child when his father also taught him on Sundays.
Professional career
Molder began his legal career with the Columbia-based firm Hardin &Parkes. In 2014,Molder co-founded a new law firm with attorney Dalton Mounger. Molder now serves as the Managing Partner of Mounger &Molder.[8]
Political career
In 2014,Molder ran for District Attorney General for the 22nd Judicial District,which comprises four counties. Out of approximately 32,000 votes cast,he lost the election by less than 1%.[9]
Molder was first elected Mayor of Columbia in 2018 as a member of the Democratic Party,succeeding two-term incumbent Mayor Dean Dickey.[10]
At the time of his election,he was both the youngest individual to hold the office in Columbia's history and the youngest mayor serving in Tennessee.[11] He was re-elected in 2022 by a significant majority of the vote over the local chair of the Maury County Republican Party. Molder won both elections by large margins in the same county that Donald Trump carried by over 45 points in the 2024 presidential election.[12]
Molder frequently cites former Columbia Mayor Barbara McIntyre as an early political inspiration. As a high school student body president,Molder once contacted Mayor McIntyre with a concern;she personally answered his call and addressed the issue,an experience Molder credits as formative to his approach to accessible and responsive governance.[13]
As Mayor,Molder passed seven balanced budgets in a row with no property tax increases,while saving taxpayers $10.5 million through fiscal management. His budgets invested in infrastructure,public safety and education. He formed Columbia Mayor's Youth Council to help inspire the next generation to make a positive impact in their hometown.
Molder's campaign has drawn attention for its unexpectedly strong early fundraising. In the months following his announcement,he raised $786,000,with approximately 90 percent of contributions coming from within Tennessee,placing Molder among the top Democratic House fundraisers of the third quarter of 2025.[3][15]
Personal life
Molder is married to Elizabeth Molder,originally from Ripley,Tennessee. They met as undergraduate students at the University of Tennessee.[14] The couple maintains a strong connection to their alma mater and remain active supporters of the University of Tennessee.[citation needed] They are members of the First United Methodist Church in Columbia,where Molder also teaches Sunday school.[14]
Elizabeth Molder,a former public school teacher,retired from the profession in 2010 to focus on raising their three children:Marley,Hugh,and Bebe. All three children attend the same public schools in Columbia that Molder attended as a child.[16] Elizabeth is the daughter of Craig and Pam Fitzhugh,who are also University of Tennessee graduates. Craig Fitzhugh served over two decades in the state legislature.[17]
Outside of his political and legal career,Molder is an avid runner. He has completed several marathons and half-marathons,as well as numerous 5K races across the country. His favorite 5K is the "Mule Kick," held annually during Mule Day in Columbia.[18]
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