Kip Holden

Kip Holden
Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish
In office
January 3, 2005  December 31, 2016
Preceded byBobby Simpson
Succeeded bySharon Weston Broome
Member of the Louisiana Senate
from the 15th district
In office
2002–2004
Preceded byWilson Fields
Succeeded bySharon Weston Broome
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from the 63rd district
In office
1988–2002
Preceded byJewel Joseph Newman
Succeeded byAvon Honey
Personal details
Born
Melvin Lee Holden

(1952-08-12)August 12, 1952
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedMay 14, 2025(2025-05-14) (aged 72)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLois Stevenson
Children5
EducationLouisiana State University, Baton Rouge (BA)
Southern University, Baton Rouge (MA, JD)

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.

He 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.