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Jerry Andrews Smith JR
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Jerry 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.
Background and education
Smith 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.
Career
Smith 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.
Office history
Smith 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.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
North Carolina — campaign finance
- State, county, and municipal candidates — all in one system — NC State Board of Elections — Committee Search. Search by last name “Smith”.
North Carolina — statement of economic interest
- Required for state-elected and many local officials — NC State Ethics Commission — Statement of Economic Interest Search. Search by last name “Smith”.