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Founder of the Gardner Group

Founder of the Gardner Group

| spouse=Deborah Ann Walker Gardner (married 1993)

| spouse=Deborah Ann Walker Gardner (married 1993)

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'''Terry Lamar Gardner''', known as '''TG Gardner''' (May 18, 1954 &ndash; June 28, 2022),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/minden-mayor-terry-gardner-passes-away/|title=Minden Mayor Terry Gardner Passes Away|publisher=''[[Minden Press-Herald]]|date=June 28, 2022}}</ref> is a [[business]]man who was the 56th [[mayor]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], [[Louisiana]]. A [[Republican Party|Republican]], he was the fourth member of his party to hold the position since 1966. A victor by thirty-seven votes in the nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] held on November 6, 2018, Gardner assumed office on December 27, 2018.

'''Terry Lamar Gardner''', known as '''TG Gardner''' (May 18, 1954 &ndash; June 28, 2022),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press-herald.com/minden-mayor-terry-gardner-passes-away/|title=Minden Mayor Terry Gardner Passes Away|publisher=''[[Minden Press-Herald]]|date=June 28, 2022}}</ref> was a [[business]]man who was the 56th [[mayor]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], [[Louisiana]]. A [[Republican Party|Republican]], he was the fourth member of his party to hold the position since 1966. A victor by thirty-seven votes in the nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] held on November 6, 2018, Gardner assumed office on December 27, 2018.

A native of [[Shreveport]], where 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 is 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 a state representative descended 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.

A native of [[Shreveport]], where 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.

Gardner was married to the former Deborah Ann "Debbie" Walker (born May 19, 1957).<ref name=tgg>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/gardner-announces-minden-mayoral-bid/|title=Gardner announces Minden mayoral bid|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|date=July 16, 2018|accessdate=July 18, 2018}}</ref>  

Gardner was married to the former Deborah Ann "Debbie" Walker (born May 19, 1957).<ref name=tgg>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/gardner-announces-minden-mayoral-bid/|title=Gardner announces Minden mayoral bid|publisher=''The Minden Press-Herald''|date=July 16, 2018|accessdate=July 18, 2018}}</ref>  

Gardner died suddenly of [[cancer]] at the age of sixty-eight. The illness had been recently diagnosed.

Gardner died suddenly of [[cancer]] at the age of sixty-eight. The illness had been diagnosed on May 23, 2022.

==References==

==References==

[[Category:Former Democrats]]

[[Category:Former Democrats]]

[[Category:Republicans]]

[[Category:Republicans]]