Derrick Simmons
Derrick Simmons (Democratic Party) is a member of the Mississippi State Senate, representing District 12. He assumed office in 2011. His current term ends on January 4, 2028.
Simmons (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Mississippi State Senate to represent District 12. He won in the general election on November 7, 2023.
Simmons began serving as minority leader of the Mississippi State Senate in 2017.[1]
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Simmons was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Senate County Affairs Committee, Chairman
- Finance Committee
- Senate Gaming Committee
- Judiciary, Division A Committee
- Judiciary, Division B Committee
- Ports and Marine Resources Committee
- Senate Municipalities Committee
2023-2024
Simmons was assigned to the following committees:
- Congressional Redistricting Committee (decommissioned)
- Senate Constitution Committee, CVice Chair
- Senate Corrections Committee
- Finance Committee
- Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee
- Judiciary, Division A Committee
- Judiciary, Division B Committee
- Reapportionment Committee (decommissioned)
- Senate Municipalities Committee, Chair
- Ports and Marine Resources Committee
- Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee
- Reapportionment Committee (decommissioned)
2020-2021
Simmons was assigned to the following committees:
- Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee
- Judiciary, Division A Committee
- Judiciary, Division B Committee
- Senate Municipalities Committee, Chairman
- Ports and Marine Resources Committee
- Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee
- Senate Constitution Committee, Vice-Chairman
- Senate Corrections Committee
- Finance Committee
2019-2020
Simmons was assigned to the following committees:
- Enrolled Bills Committee, Chairman
- Senate Corrections Committee
- Labor Committee
- Finance Committee
- Senate Insurance Committee
- Judiciary, Division A Committee
- Judiciary, Division B Committee
- Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Simmons served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Highways and Transportation, Chair |
| • Agriculture |
| • Appropriations |
| • Corrections |
| • Legislative Budget |
| • Ports and Marine Resources |
| • Public Health and Welfare |
| • Public Property |
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Simmons served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Enrolled Bills, Chair |
| • Compilation, Revision and Publication |
| • Corrections |
| • Finance |
| • Insurance |
| • Judiciary, Division A |
| • Judiciary, Division B |
| • Labor |
| • Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks |
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Simmons served on the following committees:
| Mississippi committee assignments, 2010 |
|---|
| • Corrections |
| • Finance |
| • Insurance |
| • Judiciary, Division A |
| • Labor |
| • Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2023
See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2023
General election
General election for Mississippi State Senate District 12
Incumbent Derrick Simmons won election in the general election for Mississippi State Senate District 12 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Derrick Simmons (D) | 100.0 | 10,774 |
| Total votes: 10,774 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mississippi State Senate District 12
Incumbent Derrick Simmons advanced from the Democratic primary for Mississippi State Senate District 12 on August 8, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derrick Simmons | 100.0 | 6,203 |
| Total votes: 6,203 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Simmons received the following endorsements.
2019
See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2019
General election
General election for Mississippi State Senate District 12
Incumbent Derrick Simmons defeated Paul Pecou in the general election for Mississippi State Senate District 12 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derrick Simmons (D) | 81.5 | 9,422 |
 | Paul Pecou (Independent) | 18.5 | 2,143 | |
| Total votes: 11,565 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mississippi State Senate District 12
Incumbent Derrick Simmons advanced from the Democratic primary for Mississippi State Senate District 12 on August 6, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derrick Simmons | 100.0 | 6,439 |
| Total votes: 6,439 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2015
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2015
Elections for the Mississippi State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on August 4, 2015, and the general election was held on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 27, 2015.[2] Incumbent Derrick Simmons was unopposed in the Democratic primary. No Republican candidates filed for election. Simmons ran unchallenged in the District 12 general election.
2011
- See also: Mississippi State Senate elections, 2011
Simmons won re-election to the Mississippi Senate District 12. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 2, 2011 and in the general election on November 8, 2011.[3]
2011 special election
Simmons defeated Dorothy Walls and Gwendolyn McClure in the March 1, 2011 special election.[4] In Mississippi, no party ID appears on the special election ballot. If Simmons had not received a majority of votes, a runoff would have be held on March 22, 2011.[5]
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Derrick Simmons did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Derrick Simmons did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
2011
Simmons' 2011 special election Facebook page highlighted the following campaign themes:
- Improve Educational Outlook
- Create Industry and Jobs
- Work with local, state, and federal officials to increase employment and training opportunities
- Work with healthcare professionals to address healthcare needs
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2025.
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2024.
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2023.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Institute for Legislative Analysis — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2022.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2021.
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2020.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2019.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2018.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2017.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2016.
- ACLU of Mississippi — Legislators are scored by the ACLU on their whether their votes on bills "promote racial, cultural, and economic justice."
- Americans for Prosperity - Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Empower Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2015.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Mississippi State Legislature in 2014.
- Business and Industry Political Education Committee — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Empower Mississippi — Legislators are scored on their votes on education bills.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
See also
2023 Elections
External links
|
Officeholder Mississippi State Senate District 12 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Delta Business Journal, “Senator Derrick Simmons" accessed December 3, 2025
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Elections Calendar," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Mississippi Department of State, "2011 Official State Senate Candidate List," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ Delta Democrat Times, "Simmons wins easily," March 2, 2011
- ↑ Y'all Politics, "Barbour sets date for special election," January 13, 2011
