Sarita Simmons (born May 14, 1977) is an American politician, serving in the Mississippi State Senate from the 13th district since 2020.[1]
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. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Alcorn State University |
Early life and education edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
- ^ 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.