Kip Holden

Melvin Lee "Kip" Holden (August 12, 1952 – May 14, 2025) was an American politician who served from 2005 to 2016 as the Democratic Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capital of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities such as Baker, Central City, and Zachary.

Holden was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate in the 2015 race for lieutenant governor, losing to Republican Billy Nungesser.

He vacated his position as Mayor-President at the end of 2016 and was succeeded by Sharon Weston Broome, another member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and education

Holden studied at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 1974. He then studied at Southern University in Baton Rouge where he graduated Master of Arts in Journalism in 1982. He then went to Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge where he graduated a Juris Doctor in 1985.

Early career

Previous to his political career, Holden was a journalist and later an attorney.

He also worked at the Louisiana Department of Labor as a clerk in the Workers' Compensation Office, at the Baton Rouge City Police as a public information officer, and at the United States Census Bureau as a public relations specialist. He also worked at WXOK Radio in Port Allen as a news director (in 1975 and 1977), at WWL Radio in New Orleans as a Reporter (in 1977 and 1978), and at WBRZ Channel 2, Baton Rouge as a Reporter (in 1978 and 1979).

From 1991, he was an adjunct professor of law at Southern University Law Center - Baton Rouge.

He was a Member of the Baton Rouge Metro Council from District 2 from 1984 until 1988. He represented Louisiana State Representative from District 63 from 1988 until 2002. He served as Louisiana State Senator from District 15 from 2002 until 2004

He ran unsuccessfully for mayor-president of Baton Rouge in 1996 and 2000.

Mayoralty

2004 election

Holden was elected mayor-president on November 3, 2004, when he unseated the Republican incumbent, Bobby Simpson of Baker. Holden was inaugurated on January 3, 2005.

Holden's election of East Baton Rouge Parish was fostered through the support of his urban black base but also with substantial support from suburban whites, many being Republicans. Support from the latter group was buoyed by backing from Jim Bernhard, CEO of The Shaw Group, and several other figures in business and industry. The dissatisfaction with Mayor-President Simpson was demonstrated in dramatic fashion by the fact that President Bush received 54 percent of the parish vote in his re-election campaign, and then U.S. Representative Richard Hugh Baker received 69 percent. In the same election Holden matched Bush's 54 percent parishwide total.

Holden became a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by Mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York City and Thomas Menino of Boston, Massachusetts.

In 2008, Holden was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.

2008 reelection

In 2008, Holden was resoundingly reelected with 71 per cent of the vote.

2012 reelection

Holden handily won reelection in the nonpartisan blanket primary held in conjunction with the national election on November 6, 2012. One of his opponents, Republican J. Michael "Mike" Walker Sr., a member of the Metro Council, questioned Holden and the city-parish for having provided security services for Louis Farrakhan when the Nation of Islam spokesman addressed a group on October 3 at Southern University. Walker's advertisement includes a video of Farrakhan thanking Holden and the police chief for security services and Farrakhan's escort to Baton Rouge from the airport in New Orleans.

With 115,305 votes (60 percent), Holden defeated three opponents. Walker finished second with 65,972 ballots (34.3 percent). Two Independents held the remaining 5.7 percent of the vote.

Efforts at higher office

2015 lieutenant gubernatorial campaign

Holden led the four-candidate field in the primary with 360,679 votes (33.3 percent), qualifying him to face Nungesser in a runoff, who finished second in the primary with 324,654 votes (30 percent). In a strong third-place was John Young, who polled 313,183 votes (28.9 percent). Departing State Senator Elbert Guillory ran last with 85,460 votes (7.9 percent).
In the second round of balloting, Nungesser finished with 628,864 votes (55.4 percent) to Holden's 506,578 (44.6 percent). Holden nevertheless was an easy winner in populous Orleans and East Baton Rouge parishes.

2016 congressional campaign

In 2016, Holden, who was term-limited as Mayor-President in Baton Rouge, ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House to represent Louisiana's 2nd congressional district held by fellow Democrat Cedric Richmond. The district has long been based in New Orleans, but had been redrawn after the 2010 census to include a slice of western Baton Rouge, including most of the capital's black precincts.

Holden finished with only 20 percent of the ballots cast to Richmond's 70 percent. Sharon Weston Broome, who had succeeded Holden in the state Senate, also succeeded him as Mayor-President after her 52-48 percent victory over Republican state Senator Bodi White in the runoff election held on December 10, 2016.

Later life and death

Holden died following an illness at a hospice in Baton Rouge, on May 14, 2025, at the age of 72.Former Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden has died, sources confirm
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holden, Kip
1952 births
2025 deaths
21st-century mayors of places in Louisiana
African-American mayors in Louisiana
African-American state legislators in Louisiana
Journalists from New Orleans
Louisiana city council members
Louisiana Democrats
Louisiana lawyers
Louisiana state senators
Louisiana State University alumni
Mayors of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Southern University Law Center alumni
21st-century African-American politicians
20th-century African-American politicians
21st-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature
Candidates in the 2015 United States elections
Candidates in the 2016 United States elections