Ty Pinkins, an Army veteran and attorney, said he left the Mississippi Democratic Party in July 2025 and is running for the U.S. Senate this year as an independent, according to an interview with the Magnolia Tribune. Pinkins lost his 2024 Senate bid to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., after receiving just over 37% of the vote, the Tribune reported.
Pinkins told the Magnolia Tribune he left the party after a rift with state leaders who he said urged him to “make room” for District Attorney Scott Colom, the party’s 2026 nominee. He said the party prioritizes fundraising over values and has created a climate that discourages new leaders, the Tribune reported.
Pinkins spent 21 years in the U.S. Army, including three combat tours and earning a Bronze Star, and holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Georgetown University, the Tribune reported. He said he has worked the past six years as a public interest lawyer in underserved communities and described himself as the first in his family to graduate high school, according to the interview.
As an independent, Pinkins told the Tribune he and five other veteran independent Senate candidates are collaborating across several states to prevent either party from winning an outright Senate majority. He said he will not caucus with Democrats or Republicans and wants guarantees to serve on committees including Appropriations, Agriculture, Foreign Relations, Veterans Affairs and Judiciary, the Tribune reported.
First-quarter campaign finance filings this year showed Pinkins with $630 in cash on hand, while filings showed Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., had about $2.5 million and Colom about $560,000, the Tribune reported. The Tribune also reported that Colom will benefit from a media buy by American Bridge 21st Century. Pinkins told the Tribune he does not accept money from millionaires, billionaires, lobbyists or super PACs and has not solicited donations since January.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
