Changes

| nationality=[[United States|American]]

| nationality=[[United States|American]]

| office=[[Mayor]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], [[Louisiana]]

| office=[[Mayor]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], [[Louisiana]]

| party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]  

| party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (2014)

| term_start=December 27, 2018  

| term_start=December 27, 2018  

| term_end=June 28, 2022 (death)  

| term_end=June 28, 2022 (death)  

| spouse=Deborah Ann Walker Gardner (married 1993-2022, his death)

| spouse=Deborah Ann Walker Gardner (married 1993-2022, his death)

| children=Harold Gardner (deceased)<br>

| children=Harold Gardner (deceased)<br>

Aubrey and Joyce Gardner

Aubrey Faye and Joyce Lewis Gardner

| alma_mater=Fair Park High School in Shreveport  

| alma_mater=Fair Park High School in Shreveport  

| religion=[[Southern Baptist]]

| religion=[[Southern Baptist]]

==Political background==

==Political background==

Gardner was a native of [[Shreveport]], the son of Aubrey and Joyce Gardner. He graduated from Fair Park High School, since disbanded by the Caddo Parish School Board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/obituaries/spt081192|title=Terry L. Gardner obituary|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|accessdate=July 1, 2022}}</ref> His  mother was highly engaged in political activism, Gardner moved to Minden at the age of twenty-four in 1978, to take a position with the tobacco company, Philip Morris USA.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/meet-mayor-elect-terry-gardner-looking-forward/|title=Meet Mayor-elect Terry Gardner Looking Forward|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|author=Juliuna Anderson|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name=ksla/> Gardner was the only mayor of Minden who previously lost three races for the city council before becoming mayor. In 2003, running as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], he lost a council race to incumbent Republican Robert Drew White (born October 28, 1966), the son of a former Minden city attorney and the grandson of the late state representative [[R. Harmon Drew, Sr.]], a descendant from one of the earliest families in Webster Parish. In 2006, still a Democrat, he lost the council race to Republican [[Tommy Davis]], his predecessor as mayor. In 2014, running for the first time as a Republican, Gardner was defeated, 64 to 36 percent, by fellow Republican Michael Scott "Mike" Toland (born October 28, 1959), who did not seek reelection to the council in 2018.

Gardner was a native of [[Shreveport]], the son of Aubrey Faye Gardner (1929-2003) and the former Joyce Lewis (1932-1990).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/235263188/joyce-gardner|title=Joyce Lewis Gardner|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=July 1, 2022}}</ref> He graduated from Fair Park High School, since disbanded by the Caddo Parish School Board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/obituaries/spt081192|title=Terry L. Gardner obituary|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|accessdate=July 1, 2022}}</ref> His  mother was highly engaged in political activism, Gardner moved to Minden at the age of twenty-four in 1978, to take a position with the tobacco company, Philip Morris USA.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/meet-mayor-elect-terry-gardner-looking-forward/|title=Meet Mayor-elect Terry Gardner Looking Forward|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|author=Juliuna Anderson|date=December 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name=ksla/> Gardner was the only mayor of Minden who previously lost three races for the city council before becoming mayor. In 2003, running as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], he lost a council race to incumbent Republican Robert Drew White (born October 28, 1966), the son of a former Minden city attorney and the grandson of the late state representative [[R. Harmon Drew, Sr.]], a descendant from one of the earliest families in Webster Parish. In 2006, still a Democrat, he lost the council race to Republican [[Tommy Davis]], his predecessor as mayor. In 2014, running for the first time as a Republican, Gardner was defeated, 64 to 36 percent, by fellow Republican Michael Scott "Mike" Toland (born October 28, 1959), who did not seek reelection to the council in 2018.

When Mayor Davis stepped down after five years in the position, Gardner ran against the only Democrat in the race, William Kerry "Winky" Newer (born June 4, 1962), the previous long-term municipal recreation director who carried Davis' support.  Newer said that had he been elected he would have sought to strengthen municipal financial growth." I will continue our attempts to lower the electrical rates by all means possible. We must continue our effort to attract new industry and business to our area," he said.

When Mayor Davis stepped down after five years in the position, Gardner ran against the only Democrat in the race, William Kerry "Winky" Newer (born June 4, 1962), the previous long-term municipal recreation director who carried Davis' support.  Newer said that had he been elected he would have sought to strengthen municipal financial growth." I will continue our attempts to lower the electrical rates by all means possible. We must continue our effort to attract new industry and business to our area," he said.