Sarita Simmons
Sarita Simmons | |
---|---|
Member of the Mississippi Senate from the 13th district | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office January 7, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Willie Lee Simmons |
Personal details | |
Born | Sarita Simmons (1977-05-14) May 14, 1977 (age 47) Cleveland, Mississippi, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater | Alcorn State University |
Sarita Simmons (born May 14, 1977) is an American politician, serving in the Mississippi State Senate from the 13th district since 2020.[1]
Early life and education
Simmons was born in Cleveland, Mississippi.[1] Her father is Willie Lee Simmons, former Mississippi Senate member from the 13th district and current Central District Transportation Commissioner.[2] Her mother was the Bolivar County Circuit Clerk, the first African American since Reconstruction to serve that post.[2] Simmons attended Cleveland High School and graduated from Alcorn State University with a bachelor's in education and psychology.[1][3]
Career
Simmons has worked as the general manager for the family-owned restaurant, The Senator's Place, which is located in Cleveland, Mississippi.[2][4] When her father didn't file for re-election for the 13th district, she decided to run. The district encompasses parts of Bolivar, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie counties.[5] She received 42.1% of the vote in the Democratic primary election and 65.1% in the general election; she assumed office on January 7, 2020.[6]
In the Mississippi Senate, she serves as vice-chair for the Investigate State Offices Committee and is a member on the following committees: Agriculture; Appropriations; Corrections; Drug Policy; Environment Prot, Cons, and Water Res; Labor; Ports and Marine Resources; and State Library.[1]
Political positions
Simmons, in partnership with Senator Walter Michel, authored a bill to allow wine sales in grocery stores; the bipartisan bill died in the Senate Finance Committee.[7]
In coordination with several Delta Legislators, Simmons created a multi-step plan to address conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Sunflower County, an infamous prison located in Simmon's 13th district.[8][9][10] This came after lawmakers proposed additional cuts for funding to the Mississippi Department of Corrections.[11]
She voted for changing the Mississippi state flag.[12]
Personal life
She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, and the Bolivar County Democratic Executive Committee.[1] She is a Christian.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Sarita Simmons". Mississippi State Senate. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c "The Simmons Family – A Recipe for Success in Public Service | Bolivar Bullet". Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Your ballot explained". www.ballotready.org. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "The MSJRC - State of Mississippi Senate Districts By County". www.msjrc.state.ms.us. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Sarita Simmons". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Wine sales in grocery stores dead". The Northside Sun. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Down, Locked. "Lawmakers Refused to Increase an Infamous Prison's Funding. Then, Chaos Erupted". ProPublica. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Zhu, Alissa. "Parchman prison Unit 29 deemed unsafe. Where will 625 Mississippi inmates go?". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Delta lawmakers present plan to address Parchman issues | The Enterprise-Tocsin". www.enterprise-tocsin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Richard, Brandon. "Mississippi lawmakers propose cuts at Parchman, reject improvement plan". WLBT News. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Bologna, Giacomo. "Here is how each lawmaker voted on the Mississippi state flag resolution". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
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- President of the Senate
- Delbert Hosemann (R)
- President pro tempore
- Dean Kirby (R)
- ▌Michael McLendon (R)
- ▌David Parker (R)
- ▌Kathy Chism (R)
- ▌Rita Potts Parks (R)
- ▌Daniel Sparks (R)
- ▌Chad McMahan (R)
- ▌Hob Bryan (D)
- ▌Benjamin Suber (R)
- ▌Nicole Akins Boyd (R)
- ▌Neil Whaley (R)
- ▌Reginald Jackson (D)
- ▌Derrick Simmons (D)
- ▌Sarita Simmons (D)
- ▌Lydia Chassaniol (R)
- ▌Bart Williams (R)
- ▌Angela Turner-Ford (D)
- ▌Charles Younger (R)
- ▌Jenifer Branning (R)
- ▌Kevin Blackwell (R)
- ▌Josh Harkins (R)
- ▌Bradford Blackmon (D)
- ▌Joseph C. Thomas (D)
- ▌Briggs Hopson (R)
- ▌David Lee Jordan (D)
- ▌J. Walter Michel (R)
- ▌John Horhn (D)
- ▌Hillman Terome Frazier (D)
- ▌Sollie Norwood (D)
- ▌David Blount (D)
- ▌Dean Kirby (R)
- ▌Tyler McCaughn (R)
- ▌Rod Hickman (D)
- ▌Jeff Tate (R)
- ▌Juan Barnett (D)
- ▌Andy Berry (R)
- ▌Brian Rhodes (R)
- ▌Albert Butler (D)
- ▌Gary Brumfield (D)
- ▌Jason Barrett (R)
- ▌Angela Burks Hill (R)
- ▌Joey Fillingane (R)
- ▌Robin Robinson (R)
- ▌Dennis DeBar (R)
- ▌John A. Polk (R)
- ▌Chris Johnson (R)
- ▌Philman Ladner (R)
- ▌Mike Seymour (R)
- ▌Mike Thompson (R)
- ▌Joel Carter (R)
- ▌Scott DeLano (R)
- ▌Jeremy England (R)
- ▌Brice Wiggins (R)