A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 7 which includes the city of Duluth in St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesota.

Simonson was born in Duluth, Minnesota.

Simonson served on the following committees during his tenure: In 2020, Simonson was not endorsed by the DFL and was defeated in the primary election on August 11 to Jen McEwen.

[1] Simonson was an assistant chief for the Duluth Fire Department, retiring after serving as a firefighter for 27 years.

[1] After leaving his role as a legislator, Simonson became a lobbyist with Saint Paul-based law firm Flaherty and Hood.