Derrick Terrell Simmons (born December 12, 1976) is an American politician and trial lawyer serving in theMississippi Senate for the 12th district since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he became theMinority Leader of the Mississippi Senate in 2017.

Derrick Simmons was born on December 12, 1976 inGreenville, Mississippi. He graduated fromT. L. Weston High School in 1995 as thevaledictorian.^[1][2] He received aBachelor of Business Administration in Accounting fromJackson State University in 2000 on a full scholarship; he finished first in his class.^[3]

He then enrolled atHoward University, graduating with anMBA in 2002 and aJD in 2005.^[4][2] He interned as an internal auditor forNorthrop Grumman while at Howard for two years.^[3] At Howard University's Law School, he was part of theMock Trial advocacy team, which defeated reigning championHarvard Law school to become the first historically black law school to win the ABA International Mock Trial Competition.^[5][2]

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.^[3] Later, Simmons established a law firm in Greenville, Mississippi with his twin brother, Errick in 2008. He became the municipal court judge forSunflower, Mississippi andMoorhead, Mississippi from 2009 to 2011.^[2]

Simmons served on the Greenville Public School District Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2011 and has taught as anadjunct professor since 2007 atMississippi Valley State University in courses on business law, personal finance, and marketing.^[2][3]

He is affiliated with theAmerican Bar Association,National Bar Association,Mississippi Bar, Magnolia Bar,District of Columbia Bar, and the Greenville Rotary Club.^[4]

After State Senator Johnnie Walls resigned from his seat to run for Circuit Court Judge inBolivar County, Simmons decided to run for office.^[3]

On March 1, 2011, Simmons was elected to theMississippi 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.^[6] The 12th district includes parts of Bolivar,Coahoma, andWashington counties.^[4]

In 2013, Simmons proposed a legislative amendment that would expandMedicaid; the amendment wasdefeated.^[7]

In 2017, he was elected Minority Leader of the Mississippi Senate.^[3]

In January 2022, Simmons led the walking out of all 14 black Mississippi senators, during a vote to ban thecritical race theory from being taught in the state's public schools, colleges, and universities.^[8][9]

Simmons mother worked in grocery stores, while his father worked as a factory worker until dying in 2015.^[3]

He is married to CuWanda Flowers and is ofBaptist faith. He has two children.^[4] Simmons has a twin brother, Errick Simmons, who is the current mayor of Greenville, Mississippi.^[1]

Simmons is aMason, member of theNAACP, and part ofKappa Alpha Psi.^[4]

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• 1976 births
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• Politicians from Greenville, Mississippi
• Jackson State University alumni
• Howard University alumni
• Howard University School of Law alumni
• Baptists from Mississippi

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