Christopher Taylor

Christopher Taylor (b. 1967) is an attorney and mayor of Ann Arbor, having taken office on November 10, 2014.

Christopher Taylor at a September 2013 meeting of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission. (Photo courtesy of The Ann Arbor Chronicle.)

A Democrat, Taylor was a three-term member of the Ann Arbor City Council, serving the city's Ward 3 from November 2008 to November 2014. Aside from his initial race in the August 2008 Democratic primary against Stephen Kunselman, Taylor ran unopposed in each subsequent primary and general election – until the 2014 mayoral race.

In his role on the city council, Taylor has served on other city boards and commission, including the Ann Arbor park advisory commission and the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission.

He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees of the University of Michigan, including a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Taylor is a partner at the law firm of Hooper Hathaway. His practice focuses on the representation of local businesses, non-profits, and individuals.

Outside of his legal practice, Taylor is an active member of the Ann Arbor performing arts community, and has performed lead roles in the Burns Park Players musicals. He, his wife, Eva Rosenwald and two children, Henry and Ruby, live in the Burns Park neighborhood.

Timeline: Christopher Taylor

Nov. 4, 2014: Wins general election for mayor of Ann Arbor, defeating independent Bryan Kelly.
Aug. 5, 2014: Wins four-way Democratic primary election for mayor. Other candidates – Sabra Briere, Stephen Kunselman and Sally Petersen – were also sitting councilmembers. Taylor received 7,070 votes (47.6%) compared to Briere’s 2,967 (20%), Kunselman’s 2,447 (16.5%) and Petersen’s 2,364 (15.9%).
Nov. 6, 2012: Wins re-election to a third two-year term on city council, representing Ward 3. He is unopposed in the general election.
Aug. 9, 2012: At the first council meeting after the primary election, announces a proposal to put a four-year public arts millage on the Nov. 6 ballot. The news comes as a surprise to leaders of local arts organizations and the city's public art commission. Despite requests from the arts community to delay putting an 0.1 mill proposal on the ballot, at their Aug. 20 meeting the council unanimously votes to put it on the Nov. 6 ballot. The proposal is defeated, with 28,166 people (55.86%) voting against it and with support from 22,254 voters (44.14%).
Aug. 7, 2012: Is unopposed in the Democratic primary for Ward 3 city council.
September 2011: Joins the Ann Arbor law firm Hooper Hathaway as a partner. His practice focuses on commercial, corporate, and intellectual property law.
November 2010: Wins re-election to a second two-year term on city council, representing Ward 3. He was unopposed in the general election and August 2010 primary.
November 2008: Wins election to his first two-year term on city council, representing Ward 3. He was unopposed in the general election.
August 2008: Defeats incumbent Stephen Kunselman in the Democratic primary for Ward 3 city council. (Kunselman runs again in 2009 against incumbent Leigh Greden, a Taylor supporter, and defeats Greden to return to council for Ward 3.)
2006-2010: Serves on the board of Performance Network Theatre.
2002-2011: Works for Butzel Long in Ann Arbor, focused on intellectual property law, and is a partner in the firm.
1998-2002: Serves as an associate for Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston, focusing on corporate intellectual property law.
1997-1998: Serves as judicial clerk for Judge Bruce Selya in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
1997: Earns a JD from the University of Michigan Law School. While in law school, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan Law Review.
1994: Earns an MA in history from the University of Michigan.
1990: Earns BA in English and BMA in vocal performance from the University of Michigan.