Melvin L. "Kip" Holden is the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capitol of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities like Baker, Central City and Zachary. He was elected the city's mayor on November 3, 2004. He unseated the Republican incumbent, Bobby Simpson, even as President George W. Bush and Congressman Richard Baker were winning in East Baton Rouge Parish. Holden was inaugurated on January 3, 2005.

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  • Melvin L. "Kip" Holden is the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capitol of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities like Baker, Central City and Zachary. He was elected the city's mayor on November 3, 2004. He unseated the Republican incumbent, Bobby Simpson, even as President George W. Bush and Congressman Richard Baker were winning in East Baton Rouge Parish. Holden was inaugurated on January 3, 2005. Holden's election is significant in that he is the first African-American Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish. His election was made possible on account of the support of his African-American base in the city's core, but also with substantial support from suburban white voters, many being Republicans. Support from the latter group was buoyed by the support of Jim Bernhard, CEO of The Shaw Group, and other leaders in business and industry in the Baton Rouge area, but largely a result of severe dissatisfaction with the performance of Mayor-President Simpson. This was demonstrated in dramatic fashion by the fact that President Bush received 54 percent of the parish vote in his re-election campaign and Congressman Baker received 69 percent. Holden in the same election secured 54 percent of the parish vote. In 2008, Holden was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield. Previous to his political career, Holden was a journalist and later an attorney. As Mayor, he is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino. Holden has been married over 20 years to Lois Stevenson Holden and has five children; Melvin II, Monique, Angela, Myron, and Brian-Micheal.
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  • Melvin L. "Kip" Holden is the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capitol of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities like Baker, Central City and Zachary. He was elected the city's mayor on November 3, 2004. He unseated the Republican incumbent, Bobby Simpson, even as President George W. Bush and Congressman Richard Baker were winning in East Baton Rouge Parish. Holden was inaugurated on January 3, 2005.
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  • Kip Holden
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