Independent U.S. Senate candidate Pinkins believes many Mississippi voters want something different

Independent U.S. Senate candidate.

Key points

• Third quarter campaign finance reporting indicated Pinkins has raised almost $104, 000 this election cycle and documented a cash on hand total of $4, 900.
• Senate in November 2024 to Senator Roger Wicker (R), only able to muster just over 37% of the vote.
• Hyde-Smith documented a cash on hand balance of $2.43 million after raising $935, 000 between the three committees supporting her re-election bid.
• Colom documented a cash on hand total of $992, 000 after raising $1.32 million in the third quarter.
• The Delta-based attorney left the Democratic Party in July 2025 after he had confirmed his second run for U.S.

Independent U.S. Senate candidate Pinkins believes plenty of Mississippi voters want something different. By: Frank Corder – October 29, 2026. Ty Pinkins, 2023 (Photo from the Pinkins campaign).

Pinkins visited with Magnolia Tribune in June, saying he 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.

Army veteran and attorney Ty Pinkins is making his second run for U.S. Senate in as plenty of years, this time as an Independent.

"Both political parties have failed us. Where we are today proves that, " Pinkins informed Magnolia Tribune in a wide-ranging interview on his campaign.

For context, the Delta-based attorney left the Democratic Party in July 2025 after he had confirmed 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 growth his competitiveness, Pinkins stepped up again to run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in the 2026 midterms.

Nevertheless, a rift emerged between him and the leaders in the Mississippi Democratic Party. Pinkins informed Magnolia Tribune last year that he was called on – 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 remarked 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 remarked of his leaving the Democratic Party that his personal experiences with party insiders demonstrated that they have prioritized fundraising over values and vision. 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 remarked. "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 problems that they didn't solve."

He remarked 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 remarked. "So it's like a self-licking ice cream cone. Neither party can allow the other party to win since they're afraid that voters are going to reward that."

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 offer birth to me and she never went back, " stated Pinkins. This person is additionally an author.

For context, 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 confirmed 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 additionally 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 remarked.

According to Pinkins, 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 remarked. "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 support us produce 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 continued. "We'll do that, but the cost of that is single matter 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 problems that are notable 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 remarked 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, " remarked 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 remarked. "And here's why. If I was going to caucus with Democrats, I may as well run as a Democrat. That doesn't create sense."

Pinkins remarked he does not want to be part of the parties, saying when Republicans and Democrats secure elected "they immediately go sit in their corner, the red corner or the blue corner, and do the same things all over again." Funds is an Problem.

Campaigning for statewide office takes funds, especially when you are an Independent candidate without the winds of a political party machine at your back.

Third quarter campaign finance reporting indicated Pinkins has raised almost $104, 000 this election cycle and documented a cash on hand total of $4, 900. That pales in comparison to Hyde-Smith and Colom.

Hyde-Smith documented a cash on hand balance of $2.43 million after raising $935, 000 between the three committees supporting her re-election bid. Her primary campaign fund, "Cindy Hyde-Smith for U.S. Senate, " pulled in $687, 000 over the last three months, pushing her fundraising total to $6.2 million this cycle.

Colom documented a cash on hand total of $992, 000 after raising $1.32 million in the third quarter. The Lowndes County District Attorney has now raised $3.93 million this election cycle.

Pinkins recognized the funds disparity between his campaign and the party candidates but stated "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 funds. Not one e-mail asking for donations. That's intentional, " explained Pinkins. "I don't accept funds 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 authorities.

"It's not the fault of the voters; it's the fault of politicians in Washington. I think that trust gap exists since of the amount of capital 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 major capital cookie jar and they can't obtain it out, " Pinkins remarked. "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 regarding the capital. 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 additionally 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 remarked, pointing to campaign donations received by both his Republican and Democrat opponent from those tied to such interests.

He observed Colom being funded by billionaire financier George Soros, a well-documented relationship that has assisted the Democratic nominee in his races for District Attorney and now for U.S. Senate.

For now, independent U.S. Senate candidate Pinkins believes many Mississippi voters want something different remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.