David Parker (born 1969) is an American optometrist and politician. He serves as a Republican member of the Mississippi State Senate for District 2, which includes part of DeSoto county.
Early life
David Parker was born on September 9, 1969, in Memphis, Tennessee.[1] He was educated at Greenbrook Elementary and Southaven High School in Southaven, Mississippi. He graduated from Christian Brothers University on the pre-optometry track. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry magna cum laude.[2]
Career
Parker works as an optometrist at his own business that he founded.[2] He is a member of the American Optometric Association and the Mississippi Optometric Association.[1]
A Republican, Parker won a special election in 2012 to replace retiring senator Merle Flowers in District 19 after defeating Rep. Pat Nelson.[2][3] The district included parts of DeSoto County and was the most populous district in the state.[3][4] Legislative redistricting created a new district in DeSoto county, resulting in Parker to run in District 2 for the Mississippi State Senate in 2015.[4] He won the election.[1] In 2019, his seat was considered "Safe Republican" by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.[5]
He voted to defund Common Core in 2014 on an amendment, which ultimately failed.[6] In the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting in June 2015, Parker calledfor the Confederate battle flag to be removed from the flag of Mississippi, suggesting it was divisive.[7] He was part of the legislative redistricting committee in the senate in 2021.[8] He authored a proposal to reinstate the ballot initiative in the state.[9]
He declined to run for the 1st Congressional District upon Alan Nunnelee's death.[10]
Personal life
Parker is married to Ashleigh Beckett and has four children. They reside in Olive Branch, Mississippi. He is a member of the United Methodist Church.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "David Parker". Mississippi State Senate. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ a b c Long, Robert Lee (August 24, 2012). "Parker running for State Senate". DeSoto Times-Tribune. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ a b Hall, Sam (November 29, 2012). "David Parker Defeats Rep. Pat Nelson To Replace Retired Sen. Merle Flowers". Magnolia Tribune. Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ a b "State Senator David Parker qualifies for re-election". Magnolia Tribune. January 9, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ Ulmer, Sarah (2019-10-24). "MCPP: Republicans look to expand majority in the Senate". Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ "Mississippi Tea Party urges its members to flood Supertalk with calls over Common Core funding vote". Magnolia Tribune. March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ Long, Robert Lee (June 23, 2015). "Parker calls for change in state flag". DeSoto Times-Tribune. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Ulmer, Sarah (2021-08-06). "First legislative redistricting hearing takes place in Meridian". Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Ulmer, Sarah (2024-03-04). "Senate Offers Its Proposed Legislation to Rectify State's Ballot Initiative Process". Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ "State Sen. David Parker will not seek MS01 seat". Magnolia Tribune. February 21, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2024.