Derrick Simmons
Mississippi State Senator, District 12 since 2011. Ran in 5 elections between 2011 and 2023, winning 5. Next on the ballot in 2027.
- In office
- 14 yrs
- Since 2011
- Bills became law
- 1
- 94 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 5.7%
- Chamber median 1.2%
- With party
- 98%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +62.9
- Won 2019
- Next election
- 2027
- Nov 2, 2027
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Constitution · vice chair
- County Affairs · chair
- Finance
- Gaming
- Judiciary, Division A
- Judiciary, Division B
- Medicaid
- Municipalities
- Ports and Marine Resources
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Public Health and Welfare · Became law Mar 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Simmons sits in the Mississippi State Senate
Simmons is closer to the center than 0% of the chamber's Democrats.
Closest: Bradford Blackmon, Albert Butler, Reginald Jackson
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:54 PM ET
With Simmons’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Democrats98%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills46%
Black tick: the average of Democrats in the Mississippi State Senate.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Simmons’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Democrats.
| Date | Bill | Simmons | Dem. majority | Rep. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2026 | SB 2202: Economic development incentives; require agreements to secure employee freedom and… | No | No | Yes | Passed 27–25 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 15: Appropriation; Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Department of. | No | No | Yes | Passed 35–6 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 34: Appropriation; District attorneys and staff. | No | No | Yes | Passed 35–8 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 32: Appropriation; Attorney General. | No | No | Yes | Passed 33–9 |
| May 29, 2025 | HB 33: Appropriation; Capital Post-Conviction Counsel, Office of. | No | No | Yes | Passed 34–6 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Simmons was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Mississippi State Senate, District 12 | Won | — |
| 2019 | Mississippi State Senate, District 12 | Won | D+62.9 |
| 2015 | Mississippi State Senate, District 12 | Won | — |
| 2015 | Mississippi State Senate, District 12 (primary) | Won | — |
| 2011 | Mississippi State Senate, District 12 | Won | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive
Seats Simmons has held
- Mississippi State Senate, District 12 · since 2011
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Simmons has run against
- Paul D. Pecou (I) · 2019 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive
How we know Simmons
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/3ea1bab4-64f2-4ff3-b0a9-e04a8caa3e9f
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET