Royce Duplessis

la State Senator

Democrat District 5

On December 6th, 2022, Royce Duplessis was sworn in as Louisiana State Senator for District 5. He represented District 93 in the Louisiana House of Representatives following the 2018 election. While serving in the legislature, he has passed commonsense criminal justice reforms, championed legislation to expand access to affordable healthcare, prioritized efforts to allow for paid sick leave, worked to make housing more affordable, fought to enact a living wage, and more. Most recently, Senator Duplessis championed legislation to require universal perinatal mood disorder screening, to end solitary confinement for juveniles, to limit when mugshots can be released to the public, and more.

Royce was raised in a home that fostered concern for others and the belief that everyone deserves fair treatment and the opportunity to succeed in life. One of Royce’s first examples was his father, who served children with disabilities as an Adapted Physical Education Teacher for the Orleans Parish School System. Royce also inherited an entrepreneurial spirit from his grandparents, who owned and operated a small corner grocery store during the 1950s-70s. He attended St. Augustine High School. Royce worked summers in high school as a bricklayer’s assistant, and he supported himself by earning tips working as a busboy at Mandina’s Restaurant while attending Xavier University.