Pinkins leaving MS Democratic Party, running as independent. What to know
Pinkins told the Clarion Ledger on Monday his decision stemmed from disagreements with campaign finance raising between the Democratic Party and himself.
"I refuse to operate in a system that prioritizes money over people," Pinkins said. "I was asked more about fundraising than about any values or anything about my vision as United States senator coming from Mississippi than anything else. It was all about money. I don't think that's leadership, it's gatekeeping, and that's why I'm running as an independent now, to stay accountable to the people and not the party."
Pinkins also made note of being pushed to drop out of the race for another candidate, which he refused to do.
"When I first entered this race, party officials didn't ask me about healthcare, veterans or education," he said. "They asked how much money I had. And when I refused to step aside for their handpicked, millionaire-backed candidate, they tried to buy me off — and then they threatened me."
Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Pinkins said he did not give the Democratic Party a prior warning to the announcement.
In May, the Clarion Ledger reported Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom would likely run for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde Smith. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to previous Clarion Ledger reporting, thinks Colom is the right man for the job.
If Colom follows through, Pinkins would now avoid a primary with a well-respected candidate in the Democratic Party.
Pinkins said that fact was not part of his decision to run as an independent in the Senate race.
"I think that there's a problem with money in our politics, and I think both parties are compromised with the amount of money that's in politics, and the only way that we can get out of it is for independent candidates to step forward and tell them, 'I don't accept big corporate PAC money,'" Pinkins said. "'I don't accept money for billionaires,' so that voters can see that they have a candidate that's not lost in the big money machine."
The 2026 senate race will be Pinkins' third campaign in under three years. In 2023, Pinkins had begun his first Senate campaign against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, but at the Democratic Party's request, he changed gears and ran for Mississippi Secretary of State. He lost to incumbent and current office holder Michael Watson.
In 2024, Pinkins picked back up the Senate campaign against Wicker but was unsuccessful in the November election.
Because Pinkins is now an independent candidate, he will need 1,000 Mississippians' signatures to qualify for the race and also $1,000. Both will be needed to put his name on the state's ballot in 2026.
Pinkins is also now the second high-ranking Democrat to leave the Mississippi Democratic Party. Shuwaski Young, a politician and former candidate for secretary of state from Philadelphia (Mississippi) left the party in October 2024.
Pinkins would at this time be the only independent running for Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat in 2026, which also would leave Colom without a Democratic opponent in the 2026 primary.
Hyde-Smith, who was first appointed to the U.S. Senate by former Gov. Phil Bryant, does at this time have one challenger in her party, Sarah Adlakha, a resident of Ocean Springs.
Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ty Pinkins leaving Mississippi Democratic Party
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