By Frank Corder, Magnolia Tribune
Ty Pinkins, 2023 (Photo from the Pinkins campaign)
Army veteran and attorney Ty Pinkins is making his second run for U.S. Senate in as many years, this time as an Independent.
“Both political parties have failed us. Where we are today proves that,” Pinkins told Magnolia Tribune in a wide-ranging interview on his campaign.
The Delta-based attorney left the Democratic Party in July 2025 after he had announced his second run for U.S. Senate just months earlier.
Pinkins lost his first run for U.S. Senate in November 2024 to Senator Roger Wicker (R), only able to muster just over 37% of the vote. Still believing he could raise his profile and increase his competitiveness, Pinkins stepped up again to run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in the 2026 midterms.
However, a rift emerged between he and the leaders in the Mississippi Democratic Party. Pinkins told Magnolia Tribune last year that he was urged – more than once – to “make room” for someone else. That someone else was District Attorney Scott Colom, the party’s nominee in this year’s General Election. That gatekeeping mentality, Pinkins said at the time, has pushed the Mississippi Democratic Party to a point “where the party doesn’t just lack a bench—it’s created a climate where the next generation of leaders is too intimidated to even step up to bat, afraid they’ll be punished, ignored, or publicly ridiculed for daring to lead without permission.”
Pinkins said of his leaving the Democratic Party that his personal experiences with party insiders showed that they have prioritized fundraising over values and vision.
READ MORE: Gatekeepers, sabotage, political malpractice: Pinkins parts ways with the Democratic Party
“I fundamentally believe that both political parties have failed us – the Republican Party in Washington has failed us and the Democratic Party in Washington has failed us,” Pinkins said. “One of the reasons I’m running as an independent, is that voters see the same thing every single election cycle. We see Republicans and Democrats come out and they blame each other for the issues that they didn’t solve.”
He said when Republicans put forth policies that may benefit Mississippians and Americans, “Democrats go sit in their corner and sit on their hands and say I can’t support that.”
“And vice versa. When Democrats put forth policies that are good for Mississippians and Americans, Republicans do the same thing,” Pinkins said. “So it’s like a self-licking ice cream cone. Neither party can allow the other party to win because they’re afraid that voters are going to reward that.”
Pinkins’ Background
Pinkins spent 21 years in the U.S. Army, including three combat tours and earning the Bronze Star for his first tour in combat.
He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. He went on to complete a master’s degree in national security and a law degree Georgetown University.
“I was first person in my family to graduate high school. My dad dropped out in the 6th grade. My mom, she left school at 15 to give birth to me and she never went back,” said Pinkins, who is also an author.
The past six years he has worked as a public interest lawyer in underserved communities, “practicing law in those communities entirely for free, helping low-income community members facing addictions, facing overdue hospital bills, facing overdue credit card bills, helping those people in justice court,” Pinkins described.
He announced a run for U.S. Senate in 2022, seeking the Democratic Party nomination to challenge Senator Wicker. That campaign was interrupted in 2023 when the Mississippi Democratic Party tapped him to be the substitute candidate in the Secretary of State race in the General Election, replacing nominee Shuwaski Young who had withdrawn citing health reasons. Pinkins, who entered the race in September that year, went on to lose to Secretary of State Michael Watson (R) by 19 points, pulling in just over 40% off the vote.
Notably, Young has also now left the Democratic Party. He has since switched to the Republican Party and is once again a candidate for Secretary State seeking the GOP nomination in 2027.
Being an Independent in the U.S. Senate
Pinkins is confident in his decision to leave the Democratic Party. He views Independent candidates as a way to break the stronghold of party politics in Washington D.C.
“Unless and until voters send independents to Congress to hold these two parties accountable, they will not move forward,” he said.
Pinkins pointed out that he is among a group of six veterans running for the U.S. Senate as Independents this cycle.
“In Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska. Montana, Colorado and here in Mississippi. All of us are independents, all of us are veterans, and we’re collaborating,” Pinkins said. “Our goal is to prevent either party from getting an outright majority in the United States Senate on November 3rd. If we do that, then both parties have to come to these independents in the middle and say help us make a majority.”
But he said, “that’s not free.”
“Somebody’s going to have a majority, but you have to work with those independents in order to form a majority,” Pinkins added. “We’ll do that, but the cost of that is single issue bills put forth in Congress, banning the buying and selling and trading of stocks, overturning Citizens United, ethics rules for the U.S. Supreme Court, all of these issues that are important to Mississippians.”
Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982. Democrats need four seats to flip control on the U.S. Senate this cycle.
Pinkins said if the six Independent veteran candidates are elected, “we could make a real difference in Washington.”
“Before we help either party form a majority, we say we want guarantees that we are able to serve on certain committees,” said Pinkins, specifically naming the Appropriations, Agriculture, Foreign Relations, Veterans Affairs, and Judiciary as committees he would seek to serve on.
When asked what party he would caucus with, Pinkins was quick to answer.
“I’m not caucusing with either one of them. Not caucusing with Republicans and not caucusing with Democrats,” he said. “And here’s why. If I was going to caucus with Democrats, I may as well run as a Democrat. That doesn’t make sense.”
Pinkins said he does not want to be part of the parties, saying when Republicans and Democrats get elected “they immediately go sit in their corner, the red corner or the blue corner, and do the same things all over again.”
Money is an Issue
Campaigning for statewide office takes money, especially when you are an Independent candidate without the winds of a political party machine at your back.
First quarter campaign finance filings from this year showed Pinkins with just $630 cash on hand. His General Election opponents, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) and Colom, reported $2.5 million and $560,000, respectively. It was also announced this week that Colom will be benefiting from a media buy from American Bridge 21st Century, a Democrat-aligned super PAC.
Pinkins recognizing the money disparity between his campaign and the party candidates but said “somebody has to sacrifice that part of it in order to offer voters something new.”
“Since January of this year, I have not sent out one text message asking voters for money. Not one e-mail asking for donations. That’s intentional,” explained Pinkins. “I don’t accept money from millionaires and billionaires, lobbyists or super PACs. I’m the only candidate in this race that does that.”
He believes there is a “trust gap” between voters and elected officials.
“It’s not the fault of the voters; it’s the fault of politicians in Washington. I think that trust gap exists because of the amount of money that’s in our politics. Essentially both political parties, the Republican Party leaders in Washington and Democratic Party leaders in Washington, they have their hands stuck in the big money cookie jar and they can’t get it out,” Pinkins said. “The only way we narrow the trust gap between voters and leaders is there has to be a candidate that’s willing to say, ‘You know what, I’m not all about the money. I’m not spending all of my days texting for dollars, emailing for dollars or begging millionaires and billionaires for dollars.’ Voters need that.”
Pinkins also contends that Mississippians want their U.S. Senator not to be beholden to foreign interests.
“I’m the only candidate in this race that is not affiliated with pro-Israel lobbies like J Street and especially AIPAC,” Pinkins said, pointing to campaign donations received by both his Republican and Democrat opponent from those tied to such interests.
He noted Colom being funded by billionaire financier George Soros, a well-documented relationship that has helped the Democratic nominee in his races for District Attorney and now for U.S. Senate.
“So, when we talk about the level of trust that does not exist between voters and elected leaders, I think from a money perspective, I think that I’m trying to offer something different than what they’ve been getting in the past,” Pinkins said.
Pinkins’ Priorities
Pinkins said for 50 years Republicans and Democrats have been trading control of Congress, with little progress on issues he deems important.
“Now both parties have had that much control over our government over the past 50 years,” Pinkins said of the times where one party held the presidency and majorities in both chambers of Congress. “Why are we still dealing with the high cost of education, the high cost of healthcare? Never ending wars? Our children getting shot up in schools? Poverty? Why are we still dealing with all these issues if both political parties have had multiple opportunities to fix these issues?”
Some of Pinkins’ top issues he speaks about on the campaign trail include improving the nation’s healthcare system, making sure that children have quality, affordable education and that they can afford college, and improving access to housing opportunities. He is also aware that families are struggling to make ends meet as prices continue to rise.
“The high cost of healthcare is out of control. Lowering the cost of gas and the price of food and the things that Mississippians and Americans need to live every day, that is important,” Pinkins said.
He said the leaders in D.C. can talk about improving healthcare all day long, “but as long as we keep sending the two parties to Washington it is not going to get solved.” Pinkins believes some form of universal health care should be considered, calling it “very popular with over 70% of Americans.”
“One of the main reasons the healthcare system doesn’t work is because we have the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare industry that’s packing money into the pockets of candidates and politicians. We all know that this is happening and I’m the only candidate in this race out of my Republican opponent and my Democratic opponent that’s not taking money from these millionaires and billionaires in the pharmaceutical industry,” Pinkins said. “Listen, until voters decide to send independents to Washington, D.C., we’re not going to move forward on these issues. History has shown that the two parties can’t solve these problems on their own. We need Independents in Washington to force them to move forward.”
Setting Himself Apart
Pinkins believes not taking money from big industry and lobbyists is one of the things that sets him apart from his opponents.
“We say we want transparency in Washington. I’m the only candidate in this race who has posted my complete financial history on my campaign website,” he said.
Pinkins also points to his military service and his commitment to defend the Constitution.
“We say we want integrity, honesty and trust back in our leaders,” Pinkins said. “I’m the only candidate in this race who has served this country for 21 years in uniform, including three combat tours totaling more than 36 months at war. As an active duty soldier, I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, not the political party like my opponents do. I’m the only candidate in this race who has spent my entire adult life serving this country and serving communities all over Mississippi.”
The candidate went on to say that he is the only candidate in the race “that’s had the courage to step away from the toxic two party system and run as an independent dedicated to serving Mississippians.”
“Because here’s the truth. If voters want the same toxic politics that got us where we are today, they have two options,” Pinkins said. “They have a Republican and Democrat. They will go back to Washington, do the same thing and go get in their own respective corners and fight each other. But if they want something different, they have a choice, a better option.
Pinkins dismissed the notion that campaigning and winning as an Independent is an uphill fight.
“I don’t focus necessarily on how hard it’s going to be. I focus on the fact that voters deserve a third choice. They deserve a choice other than the two that have gotten us to where we are right now,” said Pinkins. “So, my role, my responsibility is to go out to voters, let them know who I am, let them know what issues I stand for, and on November the 3rd, give them an opportunity to vote for me or vote for my opponents.”
Family Support
Pinkins expressed his appreciation for the support of his family on the campaign trail, saying, “They are excited about what’s going on. But more importantly, they are excited about our democratic republic.”
“They understand that it’s hard. They understand that it’s important. And I have their full support,” he said. “My kids help me out on the campaign trail. My wife helps me out as much as she can. But we’re all in this and we’re moving forward to November 3rd.
Pinkins said they are all telling voters one main message.
“There will be three candidates on the ballot, but really only two choices. If you want the same thing that got us to where we are today, we have a Democrat and Republican on the ballot. If we want something different, my name is Ty Pinkins and I’m running for U.S. Senate as an independent.”