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David Parker (Mississippi politician)
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 lifeDavid 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] CareerParker 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 lifeParker 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
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