{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Melinda P. Lowrance","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Melinda Pilgrim Lowrance is a registered voter in Henderson County, North Carolina, registered since 1992 (34 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Melinda Pilgrim Lowrance's year of birth as 1951; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [1].\n\nThe voter history file shows 15 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [2].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Melinda Pilgrim Lowrance can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Melinda","lastname":"Lowrance","middlename":"Pilgrim","suffix":null,"token":"ac346b9da646a00d"},"token":"pzcss79lbhVI6QIX"},{"candidatename":"Gina Baxter","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nGina Baxter (whose legal name is Margina Mae Baxter) is a Hendersonville City Council member running for re-election to one of the two at-large council seats in the November 3, 2026 election, alongside fellow incumbent Melinda Lowrance and challengers Jeff Groh and Brett Werner [2]. She was seated on the council December 5, 2024, after winning a two-year unexpired term in a November 2024 special election, defeating two other candidates [3].\n\n## Background and education\n\nBaxter grew up in Hendersonville; at 13 she wrote a letter to the editor about the city's \"City of Peace\" sign controversy, and has said of the community, \"This community raised me. It is my home.\" [3][4]. She completed her GED and studied early childhood education at Blue Ridge Community College before earning a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro [5].\n\n## Career\n\nBaxter has more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit program coordination and family and early-education resource and referral work, including as a preschool teacher [5]. She currently coordinates a program serving teenage parents at the Children & Family Resource Center [4][6].\n\n## Office history\n\nBaxter announced her candidacy for Hendersonville City Council in 2024 and won a two-year unexpired term that November, defeating two other candidates to be seated December 5, 2024 [3]. She is running for a full term in the November 2026 general election [1][2].\n\n## Family\n\nBaxter and her husband own a home together in Hendersonville [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Home | Gina Baxter for Hendersonville City Council](https://baxterforhvl.com/)\n[2] [Here's the final candidate list for 2026 elections - Hendersonville Lightning](https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/four-seasons-politics/15729-elx-4.html)\n[3] [All-female City Council is seated in historic first - Hendersonville Lightning](https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/four-seasons-politics/14636-all-female-city-council-is-seated-in-historic-first.html)\n[4] [Gina Baxter declares candidacy for City Council - Hendersonville Lightning](https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/news/13110-gina-baxter-declares-candidacy-for-city-council.html)\n[5] [Gina Baxter platform & website | Hendersonville City Council Member - branch.vote](https://www.branch.vote/races/2024-nc-general-election-nc-state-city-council-member-nc-city-hendersonville-2/candidates/gina-baxter)\n[6] [Margina (Gina) Baxter - Adolescent Parenting Program Coordinator - Children & Family Resource Center - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/margina-gina-baxter-a28091289/) (LinkedIn requires login; reflects the public profile as of July 2026.)","firstname":"Margina","lastname":"Baxter","middlename":"Mae","suffix":null,"token":"7a4c516530f6f4b1"},"token":"0qAh_p6X9oUrp3Qw"},{"candidatename":"Brett Werner","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"Brett Werner is a candidate for one of the two at\u2011large seats on the Hendersonville, North Carolina City Council in the nonpartisan municipal election scheduled for November 3, 2026. The city council seats are filled in a nonpartisan race, and while candidates must reside in the city, Hendersonville does not use districts for council elections; all council members are elected at large [11]. Filing for the 2026 municipal elections closed at noon on Friday, May 2, 2026, and Werner\u2019s filing on the final day ensured that the two council seats would be contested rather than allowing incumbents Gina Baxter and Melinda Lowrance to run unopposed [11].\n\nThe Hendersonville City Council election is part of a broader slate of contests in Henderson County, which includes a mayoral race between former mayor pro tem Jerry Smith Jr. and current mayor pro tem Jennifer Hensley, as well as races for the county\u2019s legislative delegation, school board, and other local offices [11]. The council race is nonpartisan, meaning candidates do not appear on the ballot with party affiliations, and voters will select two council members from the field of candidates city\u2011wide.\n\nWhile specific details about Werner\u2019s professional background, education, or policy positions have not been disclosed in the available source, his entry into the race is noted as adding competition for the council seats, which otherwise might have been uncontested [11]. The article does not provide a campaign website, email address, phone number, or a portrait of Werner, and no additional biographical information is supplied.\n\nThe City of Hendersonville\u2019s council members are responsible for setting municipal policy, adopting the city budget, and overseeing local services, functions that are typical of council duties in North Carolina municipalities, though these responsibilities are not detailed in the source. Werner\u2019s candidacy will be decided by the electorate on the general election date of November 3, 2026, alongside the other municipal contests listed in the filing announcement [11].\n\n## Sources\n- [11] [Here's the final candidate list for 2026 elections - Hendersonville Lightning](https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/four-seasons-politics/15729-elx-4.html)","firstname":"Brett","lastname":"Werner","middlename":"Howard","suffix":null,"token":"1cc119458c4c6f6b"},"token":"YfdNpA6JDtHYKZJ_"},{"candidatename":"Jeff Groh","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJeffrey David Groh, known as Jeff Groh, is a candidate for Hendersonville City Council in the November 3, 2026 nonpartisan election. He is competing with incumbents and fellow challengers for two at-large seats. He is based in the Flat Rock, NC area.\n\nGroh describes himself as a \"common sense\" candidate. He advocates for limited government focused on core responsibilities, policies that reduce barriers to business creation, and zoning assessment. He opposes DEI initiatives and police defunding.\n\n## Background and education\nGroh holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in business administration.\n\n## Career\nGroh previously served as vice president of technology for an analytical instruments company. He currently owns two small businesses.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Jeff Groh for Hendersonville City Council \u2013 groh4council.com](https://www.groh4council.com/)\n","firstname":"Jeffrey","lastname":"Groh","middlename":"David","suffix":null,"token":"b834e3cd4b335a46"},"token":"OSBn9loZdLwun61j"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"city_council","o.office":"city_council","office":"city_council","officedescription":"A city council member (alderman in some towns) serves on the municipality's legislative body, approving the city budget, setting the tax rate, and passing ordinances and resolutions. Members represent a district or the city at large.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on city matters \u2014 ordinances, services, and land use.\n- Budget literacy: the council approves the city budget and sets the city property-tax rate.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on ordinances and resolutions; committee work.\n- Constituent relations within the district or city.\n- Familiarity with the city charter and municipal issues such as utilities, transit, development, and blight.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"City Council Member","partisan":0,"pgr":"general","quantity":2,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"City Of Hendersonville City Council"}