Sarita Simmons
Sarita Simmons | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Mississippi Senate from the 13th district | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Willie Lee Simmons |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sarita Simmons May 14, 1977 Cleveland, Mississippi, U.S. |
| 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.
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 Rosie Simmons was the Bolivar County Circuit Clerk, the first African American since Reconstruction to serve that post.[2]
Simmons graduated from Cleveland High School in 1995 and graduated from Alcorn State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Educational Psychology in 1999.[3][4] After graduating, she moved to Georgia to work in education and behavioral health.[3] Before moving back to Mississippi, she was working in drug rehabilitation and outreach in Atlanta.[5]
Career
Simmons moved back to Mississippi in 2004 to manage the family-owned soul food restaurant in Cleveland, Mississippi.[3][5][4]
When her father did not file for re-election for the 13th district — which encompasses parts of Bolivar, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie counties — Simmons ran for the seat.[3][6] She received a little over 42 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary runoff election and about 65 percent in the general election.[7] She assumed office on January 7, 2020.[7] She is the first Black woman to hold the seat.[3]
For the 2024-2028 session 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; Education, Ethics, Housing, Labor, and Tourism.[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 committee.[8]
In coordination with several Delta Legislators, Simmons created a multistep plan to address conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Sunflower County, an infamous prison located in Simmon's 13th district.[9] This came after lawmakers proposed additional cuts for funding to the Mississippi Department of Corrections.[10]
She voted for changing the Mississippi state flag.[11]
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 Baptist.[1][4]
References
- ^ a b c d "Sarita Simmons". Mississippi State Senate. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Stowers, Mark (April 30, 2020). "The Simmons Family – A Recipe for Success in Public Service". Bolivar Bullet. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Gillette, Becky (April 11, 2025). "Sarita Simmons". Delta Business Journal. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Simmons seeks District 13 seat". The Enterprise-Tocsin. February 28, 2019. p. 1.
- ^ a b Pettus, Emily Wagster (May 25, 2005). "Delta senator finds success with soul food restaurant". The Vicksburg Post. Associated Press. p. 18.
- ^ Criss, Jack (June 19, 2021). "Sen. Sarita Simmons". The Bolivar Bullet.
- ^ a b "Sarita Simmons". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ Warren, Anthony (March 13, 2020). "Wine sales in grocery stores dead". The Northside Sun. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ "Delta lawmakers present plan to address Parchman issues". The Enterprise-Tocsin. February 2, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ Richard, Brandon (January 8, 2020). "Mississippi lawmakers propose cuts at Parchman, reject improvement plan". WLBT. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ Bologna, Giacomo. "Here is how each lawmaker voted on the Mississippi state flag resolution". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2020-10-12.