State Sen. Larry Selders, a Democrat from Baton Rouge, died suddenly Tuesday night at his son’s football practice, said Collis Temple Jr., a long-time family friend.
Temple said Selders was 44 and leaves behind two sons and his wife.
Selders had been hospitalized in May with heart trouble and missed the final month of the legislative session. He returned to the Senate chamber one day, waved to his colleagues from the side and was then ushered out.
Temple called Selders “a good man, one of the best I’ve ever known.”
Selders’ district included LSU and Southern University and downtown Baton Rouge as well.
Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, represents a district that bordered his.
“I am speechless and heartbroken,” Barrow said Tuesday night, noting that she had just seen Selders at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Sunday. She said Selders wanted to get out of the house but was in a suite to limit his contact with others.
“He was a gentle giant,” Barrow said. “He definitely cared about children and their well-being.”
In a tweet, Gov. Jeff Landry also called Selders a gentle giant, adding that he “was respected by all.”
Selders, a social worker who focused on mental health issues, was elected to the Senate in February 2025 with 62% of the vote to replace Cleo Fields, who had been elected to the U.S. House. Selders had spent the previous five years in the state House.
Selders had a solid liberal voting record as a legislator, supporting a women’s right to an abortion. But he didn’t follow Democrats when he supported the creation of Education Savings Accounts that allow K-12 students to use public dollars to study at private schools, an initiative promoted by Landry.
Selders explained that he attended University High, which requires tuition to attend, because he wanted to give other students a similar opportunity.
During his time in the House, Selders served with a former teacher of his at University High, Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge. She taught Selders 10th grade in the 1997-98 school year.
“As a teacher, I saw his strong work ethics and how determined he was to be successful, along with his genuine care for others,” Freiberg said Tuesday night. “It was a real special privilege to serve with him in the Legislature. He never lost his love for people or his desire to make a difference in their lives.”
This is a developing story, check back later for more details.
