Hunt was invited to join the Town of Sandwich's finance committee in 2001. Three years later, he won election to the town's board of selectmen and served two three-year terms. In 2010, he ran for state representative to succeed the incumbent, Jeff Davis Perry, who opted not to run for re-election in order to run for an open seat in Congress against Bill Keating. Hunt beat Democrat Lance Lambros and was sworn in as representative from the 5th Barnstable District on January 5, 2011.
