Senator Sam Jenkins Contact information

Samuel Lee Jenkins Jr., known as Sam Jenkins, is an American politician who serves as a Democratic member for the 39th district of the Louisiana Senate. He previously represented the 2nd district of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, to the late Rev. Sam L. Jenkins, Sr. and the late Annie F. Jenkins, Sam is a product of the public school system in Caddo Parish. He is a 1974 graduate of C. E. Byrd High School. He went on to obtain his undergraduate degree in Political Science and a Law Degree from Southern University.

In 2016, Jenkins won the election for the 2nd district of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He succeeded Roy A. Burrell and assumed his office on January 11, 2016. In November 2023, Jenkins was elected to represent the 39th district in the Louisiana Senate, defeating fellow Democratic House representative Cedric Glover in a runoff.

Jenkins opposed Governor Jeff Landry’s special session of the Louisiana Legislature on crime in the state, instead pushing for preventative measures in fear that the changes from the session would cause increased incarceration.

Sam was married to the late Cynthia Hightower – Jenkins. They are the parents of two children, Atari and Annia. He serves on the Deacon Board at Baptist Bible Fellowship.

As of March 2020, he lived in Shreveport, Louisiana. His career experience includes working as an attorney. In 2020, Jenkins was selected to serve as the House Caucus Chairman for the Democratic Party.