Troy Carter

Political Party: Democratic Party

District: Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District

Current Position: U.S. Representative

Troy Anthony Carter Sr. was born on October 26, 1963, in Algiers Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the youngest of six children and was raised in his native parish. Carter has established himself as a pioneering African-American political figure in Louisiana, achieving multiple firsts throughout his career.

He is currently one of two Democrats in Louisiana's congressional delegation. Notably, he is the first congressman from Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District whose spouse is a General in the United States Army.

Education

Carter earned a bachelor's degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and a master's degree from Holy Cross University. He has also studied at Harvard's JFK School of Government and Carnegie Mellon's School of Urban and Public Affairs. In May 2023, he was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from Xavier University. Additionally, Carter has served as an adjunct political science instructor at Xavier University of Louisiana.

Political Experience

Early Career: Carter began his professional career as an executive assistant to New Orleans Mayor Sidney Barthelemy, serving in that position for six years.

Louisiana House of Representatives: In 1991, he made history as the first African-American elected to represent Louisiana's 102nd District in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He served as the youngest-ever floor leader representing New Orleans and served on the Education Committee, Municipal Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee, and the Transportation & Highway Committee.

New Orleans City Council: In 1994, Carter was elected to the New Orleans City Council representing District C, again becoming the first African-American to hold this position. The district includes Algiers and the historic French Quarter. In 1997, he became the first incumbent District C Councilmember in modern history to be re-elected without opposition.

Louisiana State Senate: After several years out of public office, Carter was elected to the Louisiana State Senate in 2015, becoming the first African-American elected to represent District 7. He served as Senate Minority Leader and chaired the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. During his time as a legislator, he authored or co-sponsored hundreds of bills that became law.

As a state representative in 1993, Carter introduced legislation to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ individuals, and he filed similar legislation in the state senate in 2017 and 2020.

U.S. House of Representatives: Carter was sworn in as U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District on May 11, 2021. He currently serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the House Homeland Security Committee, and the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He was selected by Democratic leadership to serve as a Deputy Whip on the House Floor and was elected 1st Vice Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

In the 119th Congress, he is a member of the Regional Leadership Council. Carter has championed bipartisan efforts to protect his district's communities from flooding and to enhance federal flood resilience and adaptation strategies. He has introduced legislation to help communities access federal resources for flood preparation, response, and recovery.