Ty Pinkins running for U.S. Senate as Independent after leaving Mississippi Democrats in July 2025
Ty Pinkins, a Delta-based Army veteran and attorney, is running for the U.S. Senate in Mississippi as an Independent after leaving the Mississippi Democratic Party in July 2025, Magnolia Tribune reported.
Magnolia Tribune reported Pinkins told the outlet he left the party because of disagreements with party leaders and sought to offer voters an alternative to the two major parties. The article said Pinkins has argued that electing independents could prevent either party from winning an outright Senate majority and force negotiations in the middle.
The Tribune account noted Pinkins previously ran for U.S. Senate in November 2024, losing to Sen. Roger Wicker (R) with just over 37% of the vote, and that he had sought the Democratic nomination again for 2026 before leaving the party. The article said he was urged by party figures to “make room” for District Attorney Scott Colom, who became the Democratic nominee this year.
The profile summarized Pinkins’ background: 21 years in the U.S. Army, including three combat tours and a Bronze Star, a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maryland, and graduate work in national security and law at Georgetown University, Magnolia Tribune reported. The outlet said Pinkins has worked as a public interest lawyer in underserved communities for the past six years.
On policy and Senate strategy, Magnolia Tribune reported Pinkins said he would not caucus with either party and named Appropriations, Agriculture, Foreign Relations, Veterans Affairs and Judiciary as committees he would seek to serve on. He told the Tribune he is among a group of six veterans running for the Senate as independents this cycle who are collaborating to try to prevent either party from getting a majority on Nov. 3.
The Tribune reported third-quarter campaign finance filings showed Pinkins has raised nearly $104,000 this election cycle and had $4,900 cash on hand, figures the article contrasted with those reported for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Scott Colom. The article said Hyde-Smith reported $2.43 million cash on hand and had raised $6.2 million this cycle, and that Colom reported $992,000 cash on hand after raising $1.32 million in the third quarter and $3.93 million this cycle.
Magnolia Tribune quoted Pinkins saying he does not accept donations from millionaires, billionaires, lobbyists or super PACs and that he believes there is a trust gap between voters and elected officials driven by big money in politics. The Tribune also reported Pinkins’ assertion that Colom has received funding from financier George Soros; that characterization was presented as Pinkins’ comment to the outlet.
Source: Magnolia Tribune
