{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Jennifer Hensley","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"Jennifer Hensley is the current Mayor Pro Tempore of Hendersonville, North Carolina, and is a candidate for the city\u2019s mayoral race on November 3, 2026 [7][9]. In her municipal role she presides over council meetings in the mayor\u2019s absence and participates in policy\u2011making as a voting member of the council, a position she has held since first being elected to an at\u2011large seat on the Hendersonville City Council in November 2019 [1][7]. Hensley was re\u2011elected and appeared on the ballot again in the 2024 council election, confirming her continued service through at least 2025 [2][7]. \n\nBefore entering elected office, Hensley built a career as a medical doctor in private practice, operating a successful small business for more than two decades in the community she calls home [9][10]. She moved to Hendersonville about 21 years ago after graduating from college, where she met her husband and later raised two children [9][10]. While her formal education details are not listed in the public sources, her professional title of \"Dr.\" and her long\u2011standing practice indicate a medical degree and licensure. \n\nDuring her five years on the City Council, Hensley has taken on leadership roles beyond the council chamber. She serves as Vice Chair of the French Broad Metropolitan Planning Organization, where she helps secure regional funding for local projects [10]. She has championed public\u2011safety initiatives, advocated for infrastructure upgrades to the water and sewer system, and supported the development of parks and recreation facilities, including the Ecusta Trail and the rebuilding of Patton Park after Hurricane Helene [9][10]. Hensley also helped launch a county\u2011wide program that provides free swim lessons to every second\u2011grader in Henderson County, reflecting her focus on youth safety and health [10]. \n\nIn her campaign for mayor, Hensley emphasizes her experience in both the private sector and municipal government, promising to protect Hendersonville\u2019s natural beauty, improve public safety, and continue investments in infrastructure and affordable housing [9][17]. She highlights her hands\u2011on response during the early days of Hurricane Helene, when she worked at the newly completed Fire Station\u202f1 to support first responders and residents [9]. Her platform also includes advancing the city\u2019s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, expanding green spaces, and fostering economic development that benefits local workers and families [10]. \n\nHensley\u2019s public communication includes a campaign website (jennhensleyformayor.com) where she shares her biography, policy priorities, and contact information. The site lists her email address as JENNDC04@GMAIL.COM, providing a direct line for constituents [2]. No phone number is publicly listed in the sources reviewed. \n\nOverall, Jennifer Hensley\u2019s record combines medical practice, small\u2011business ownership, and a decade of municipal service, positioning her as a candidate with both professional and civic experience seeking to lead Hendersonville as mayor.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Jennifer Hensley - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jennifer_Hensley)\n- [2] [Jennifer Hensley (Hendersonville City Council At-large, North Carolina, candidate 2024) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jennifer_Hensley_(Hendersonville_City_Council_At-large,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2024))\n- [4] [Council Conversation - Jennifer Hensley | City of Hendersonville, NC | Official Website](https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/event/council-conversation-jennifer-hensley)\n- [7] [Mayor & City Council | City of Hendersonville, NC | Official Website](https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/mayor-city-council)\n- [9] [Jennifer Hensley for Mayor](https://jennhensleyformayor.com/)\n- [10] [About Jennifer](https://www.jennhensleyformayor.com/about_jennifer)\n- [17] [Dr. Jennifer Hensley for Mayor of Hendersonville, Hendersonville, NC (2026)](https://www.findglocal.com/US/Hendersonville/1254421701389288/Dr.-Jennifer-Hensley-for-Mayor-of-Hendersonville)","firstname":"Jennifer","lastname":"Hensley","middlename":"Sexton","suffix":null,"token":"faa8f21a5365012a"},"token":"ouYWsGXixzY_uHTl"},{"candidatename":"Jerry Smith, Jr.","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nJerry Andrews Smith Jr. is a former Hendersonville City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem running for Mayor of Hendersonville in the November 3, 2026 election [1]. He entered the race after Mayor Barbara Volk announced she would not seek re-election, alongside fellow candidate and former council member Jennifer Hensley [2]. Smith's campaign emphasizes continued investment in greenways, parks, and public amenities [2].\n\n## Background and education\n\nSmith moved to Henderson County in 2000 with his wife and has raised three children in Hendersonville [3]. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1990), a Master of Education from George Mason University (2000), and a Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law (1993), and was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1994 [3].\n\n## Career\n\nSmith taught World History, Civics, and several Advanced Placement courses at Hendersonville High School for 23 years, plus a year teaching English at East Henderson High School; he also coached multiple sports and led mock trial and Key Club programs, earning National Board Certification in 2007 [3]. He retired from Henderson County Public Schools in July 2024, then spent about a year as Executive Director of the North Carolina Mock Trial Program before returning to legal practice at the Derek Jones Law Office in June 2025 [3]. He is also an adjunct instructor in the Public Safety Department at Blue Ridge Community College [3].\n\n## Office history\n\nSmith was elected to the Hendersonville City Council in December 2009 and was re-elected three times, serving as Mayor Pro Tem from 2019 to 2021 [3]. He resigned from the council on October 9, 2023, citing the need to care for his family and aging parents [1]. Over nearly 14 years on council, he chaired the Apple Country Greenway Commission, which developed more than 2.6 miles of greenway trails, and council resolutions credit him with the Oklawaha Greenway Phase II and III, construction of Fire Station #2, downtown streetscape improvements, the new police station on Ashe Street, an automated water-metering system, and the Five-Party Agreement that created a health-sciences facility on Sixth Avenue West [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Jerry Smith resigns from Hendersonville City Council - Hendersonville Lightning](https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/four-seasons-politics/13235-jerry-smith-resigns-from-city-council.html)\n[2] [FORMER HENDERSONVILLE CITY COUNCILMAN ANNOUNCES FOR MAYOR - WHKP 1450 Hendersonville, NC](https://www.whkp.com/news/former-hendersonville-city-councilman-announces-for-mayor)\n[3] [Meet Jerry | Jerry Smith](https://www.jerrysmithformayor.com/meet_jerry)\n[4] [Council thanks Smith for city achievements during his service on council - Hendersonville Lightning](https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/four-seasons-politics/13239-council-thanks-for-city-achievements-during-his-14-years-of-council-service.html)","firstname":"Jerry","lastname":"Smith","middlename":"Andrews","suffix":"JR","token":"1b7230aef7c5d900"},"token":"rcALZgbJ-x4lfLYP"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"city_mayor","o.office":"city_mayor","office":"city_mayor","officedescription":"A city or town mayor is the municipality's chief executive, responsible for administering city departments, proposing the city budget, and representing the city. In some Tennessee cities the mayor is a strong executive; in others the role is more ceremonial alongside a city manager.","officequalities":"- Executive leadership of a city government \u2014 police, fire, public works, parks, and administration.\n- Ability to negotiate and defend an annual budget before the city council.\n- Intergovernmental capacity: with the county, the State of Tennessee, federal partners, and neighboring municipalities.\n- Working familiarity with the city charter, Tennessee municipal law, and open-meetings rules.\n- Crisis-management and public-communication capacity.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Mayor","partisan":0,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"City Of Hendersonville Mayor"}