{"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.)","campaigns":[{"contest":"hendersonville_city_council","county":"henderson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"City Of Hendersonville City Council"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Margina","fullname":"Margina Mae Baxter","lastname":"Baxter","middlename":"Mae","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"hendersonville_city_council","contest_title":"City Of Hendersonville City Council","county":"henderson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"henderson","office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"henderson","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"hendersonville_city_council","contest_title":"City Of Hendersonville City Council","county":"henderson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"henderson","office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Margina Mae Baxter is a 2026 candidate for Hendersonville City Council, bringing nonprofit experience from the Children and Family Resource Center.","terms":[],"token":"7a4c516530f6f4b1"}