David Parker

David Parker (born 1969) is an American optometrist and politician. He served as a Republican member of the Mississippi State Senate for District 2, which includes part of DeSoto county, until 2026.

Early life, education and career David Parker was born on September 9, 1969, in Memphis, Tennessee. 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.

Parker works as an optometrist at his own business that he founded. The district included parts of DeSoto County and was the most populous district in the state. Legislative redistricting created a new district in DeSoto county, resulting in Parker to run in District 2 for the Mississippi State Senate in 2015.

He voted to defund Common Core in 2014 on an amendment, which ultimately failed. In the aftermath of the Charleston church shooting in June 2015, Parker called for the Confederate battle flag to be removed from the flag of Mississippi, suggesting it was divisive. He was part of the legislative redistricting committee in the senate in 2021. He authored a proposal to reinstate the ballot initiative in the state.

He declined to run for the 1st Congressional District upon Alan Nunnelee's death.

In 2025, Parker opted not to run for re-election. Democrat Theresa Gillespie Isom won the seat.

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.