In 2008, Taylor was elected to Ann Arbor City Council as a Democrat, on which he served a total of three terms before announcing his mayoral campaign in 2013.

Taylor's philosophy generally resembles that of his predecessor, John Hieftje, including his emphases on development, infrastructure, and the relationship between the city and the University of Michigan.

[2] Prior to joining Hooper Hathaway, he worked with Butzel Long, also in Ann Arbor, and Ropes & Gray in Boston; he was additionally a law clerk for Bruce Selya, a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

[2] As a Council member, Taylor gained a reputation for supporting Ann Arbor's local crosswalk law, advocating for more commercial and residential recycling, maintaining zoning boundaries and downtown building height limits, opposing digital billboards, and subsidizing public art;[4][5] in December 2013, he co-sponsored a proposal to contribute $10,000 to help fund the 2014 Ann Arbor Street Art Fair.

[4] Taylor officially announced his campaign for mayor on December 20, 2013, when he submitted the 250 signatures (50 each from Ann Arbor's five wards) required to run for the office.

[4] In August 2014, Taylor took 47.57% of the vote and the party nomination in the Democratic primary, edging fellow Council members Stephen Kunselman, Sabra Briere, and Sally Hart Petersen in a highly contested race.

[10] On November 4, 2014, Taylor was elected Mayor of Ann Arbor, winning 84.21% of the vote as he easily defeated independent candidate Bryan Kelly.

[13] Ann Arbor Observer writer James Leonard described the similarities between Taylor and his predecessor, Hieftje, as "striking";[14] Michigan Daily reporter Emma Kerr noted that Taylor's philosophy echoed Hieftje's on several key issues, including development, infrastructure, and the relationship between the city and the University of Michigan.

[7] More specifically, Taylor expressed his intentions to individually evaluate construction projects and amend then-current zoning regulations, maintain and repair local roads (although he acknowledged that much of this work was being done at the county level), and meet with University President Mark Schlissel.

[7] Both Taylor and Hieftje consider transportation to be among the most important and impactful of the city government's responsibilities, including its local bus service and a proposal for commuter rail.

[14] In preparation for his 2022 midterm election, Taylor sat down with the Michigan Daily to talk about his contributions as a mayor and the plans for the future.

[16] Proclamations are official documents, released by the City Government, and used by a Mayor in order to bring public awareness to a certain topic.

Mayor Christopher Taylor released 18 proclamations in 2023, a few examples include:[17] Little Amal is a large puppet resembling a 10 year old Girl who is a refugee from Syria.