Parliamentarian

Simonović appeared in the sixty-sixth position on the Radical Party's electoral list in the 2003 Serbian parliamentary election.^[4] On election day, he and three other Radical Party members broke a number of ballot boxes in what was described as a protest against non-compliance with the election rules. For this offense, he spent twenty-seven days in the Padinska Skela prison.^[5]

The Radicals won eighty-two out of 250 seats in the 2003 election, emerging as the largest single party in the national assembly but falling well short of a majority; they ultimately served in opposition in the parliament that followed. Simonović was not initially chosen for his party's assembly delegation but was awarded a mandate as the replacement for another party member on 12 February 2004 and served for the remainder of the term.^[6][7] (From 2000 to 2011, mandates in Serbian parliamentary elections were awarded to sponsoring parties or coalitions rather than individual candidates, and it was common practice for the mandates to be assigned out of numerical order. Simonović's position on the list had no bearing on whether or when he received a mandate.)^[8]

He appeared in the sixty-third position on the Radical Party's list for the 2007 parliamentary election and was selected for a second mandate when the list won eighty-one seats.^[9][10] The Radicals continued to serve in opposition. Simonović was given the eighty-second position on the Radical list for the 2008 parliamentary election; the list won seventy-eight seats on this occasion, and he was this time not included in the party's delegation.^[11][12]

The Radical Party experienced a serious split later in 2008, with several members joining the more moderate Serbian Progressive Party under the leadership of Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić. Simonović sided with the Progressives.

Serbia's election system was reformed in 2011, such that parliamentary mandates were awarded in numerical order to candidates on successful lists. Simonović was given the 158th position on the Progressive Party's Let's Get Serbia Moving list for the 2012 parliamentary election and was not elected when the list won seventy-three seats.^[13] He has not sought re-election to the national assembly since this time.

Local politics

Simonović ran for election to the City Assembly of Belgrade in the 2000 Serbian local elections, appearing as the Radical Party's candidate in Grocka's first division. He lost to Vesna Ivić of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia. The 2000 local elections were held via first-past-the-post voting in constituency seats; all subsequent local election cycles in Serbia have been held under proportional representation.

Simonović appeared in the lead position on the Radical Party's list for the Grocka municipal assembly in the 2004 local elections and was elected when the list won eight of out thirty-five seats.^[14][15][16] There was no clear winner in the election, and the Radicals initially served in opposition. Simonović became mayor of the municipality for the first time on 23 June 2005 when a new local coalition government was formed, although he left the position on 4 November of the same year after further political re-alignment.^[17][18][19]

He again appeared in the lead position on the Radical list for Grocka in the 2008 local elections and received a mandate for another term when the list won thirteen seats.^[20][21][22] After this election, he left the Radicals and became the local leader of the Progressives.

Simonović led the Progressive list to a plurality victory with eleven out of thirty-five seats in Grocka in the 2012 local elections.^[23][24][25] He formed a local coalition government after the election and was chosen as mayor for a second time on 15 June 2012.^[26] His term in office was again relatively brief; he resigned on 28 December 2012,^[27] having been appointed as general director of Serbian railways. He served in the latter position until his removal in July 2014.^[28]

He returned to local politics for the 2016 Serbian local elections and once again appeared in the lead position on the Progressive list in Grocka.^[29] On this occasion, the list won a majority victory with twenty seats.^[30] He was selected for a third term as mayor after the election.^[31]

Local (City Assembly of Belgrade)