Senator Derrick Simmons Contact information

Derrick Terrell Simmons, born on December 12, 1976, in Greenville, Mississippi, is an American politician and trial lawyer. He is currently serving as a Democratic member of the Mississippi Senate for the 12th district since 2011 and is the Minority Leader of the Mississippi Senate, a position he has held since 2017.

Simmons graduated from T. L. Weston High School in 1995 as the valedictorian. He then went on to receive a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Jackson State University in 2000 on a full scholarship, finishing first in his class. He furthered his education at Howard University, graduating with an MBA in 2002 and a JD in 2005. During his time at Howard University’s Law School, he was part of the Mock Trial advocacy team, which defeated reigning champion Harvard Law school to become the first historically black law school to win the ABA International Mock Trial Competition.

After college, Simmons returned to the Mississippi Delta. He worked as a law clerk for the Circuit Court Judge and then became an Assistant Public Defender in the Washington County Public Defender’s Office. In 2008, Simmons established a law firm in Greenville, Mississippi with his twin brother, Errick. He served as the municipal court judge for Sunflower, Mississippi and Moorhead, Mississippi from 2009 to 2011. Simmons also served on the Greenville Public School District Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2011 and has taught as an adjunct professor since 2007 at Mississippi Valley State University in courses on business law, personal finance, and marketing.

Simmons decided to run for office after State Senator Johnnie Walls resigned from his seat to run for Circuit Court Judge in Bolivar County. On March 1, 2011, Simmons was elected to the Mississippi Senate in a special election to represent the 12th district. He ran unopposed in the 2011 and 2015 general election. In 2019, he ran against an independent candidate, receiving 81.5% of the vote. In 2023, he ran unopposed. The 12th district includes parts of Bolivar, Coahoma, and Washington counties.

In 2013, Simmons proposed a legislative amendment that would expand Medicaid; however, the amendment was defeated. Simmons is a Mason, life member of NAACP, and life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He also sits on the Mississippi Technology Alliance Liaison Committee. He is married to the former CuWanda Flowers and is of the Baptist faith.