BATON ROUGE — Louisiana State Sen. Larry Selders died suddenly Tuesday night at the age of 44 after collapsing at an event.

The news drew an outpouring of remembrance from a politically diverse group of colleagues. They described Selders as a passionate and reliable representative for his constituents.

Selders, a Baton Rouge native, was elected to represent the capital city in the state Senate in 2025. He filled the vacancy left behind when Cleo Fields won the Sixth U.S. Congressional seat.

As a social worker and state senator, Selders championed access to mental health care. He also owned and directed a substance abuse and mental health clinic.

Because of his work, school districts can now offer mental health screenings and provide additional resources to students. It's something Selders told WBRZ in an interview in 2025 would help communities across the state.

"I think this is a good step for Louisiana," Selders said at the time.

State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle reflected on the kind of person Selders was behind the scenes.

"He didn't like audiences. He didn't like being out front, but he did like fighting for people," Marcelle said.

In 2021, Selders authored the bill that designated Juneteenth as a holiday officially recognized by the state. State Rep. Edmond Jordan said Selders leaves behind a record worth honoring.

"He has a legislative record that he and his family can be proud of," Jordan said.

Jordan also said Selders will be remembered beyond his role at the Capitol.

"The thing to me is remembering the type of family man he was, dedicated to his sons," Jordan said.

Selders is survived by his sons, Larry and Luke, and his widow, Dr. Kendra Michael.

“Even though he had a short life, he did a lot in that short life," Marcelle said.

Funeral arrangements for Selders have not been announced publicly at this time.