Latest news with #Pinkins
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pinkins leaving MS Democratic Party, running as independent. What to know
Ty Pinkins, a Democrat who in recent years has run several political campaigns for both federal and statewide offices, has announced he is leaving his party and is now running as an independent for U.S. Senate in 2026. 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@ or 972-571-2335. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ty Pinkins leaving Mississippi Democratic Party
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
West Houston: Shooting outside motel kills one, injures another, officials say
The Brief Deputies were called late Saturday night to Highway 6 and Clay Road. Deputies learned the victims fled from a nearby motel after someone shot at their vehicle. Deputies found evidence of a shooting at a motel on Timber Creek Lane. HOUSTON - One person is dead, another is injured, and one person was detained following a shooting in west Harris County late Saturday night, according to officials. What we know At about 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, Harris County deputies were called to the intersection of Highway 6 and Clay Road. When they arrived at the scene, they found three males in a four-door sedan. According to Harris County Sgt. Pinkins, the group were initially at a motel about a mile away. They reportedly got into a confrontation with at least one other person who then shot at their vehicle. The group fled to Highway 6 and Clay to escape the shooting. Officials say one person was pronounced deceased at the scene where deputies were called to. One of the other males was sent to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The third person was detained at the scene. Deputies were then called to a motel in the 16100 block of Timber Creek Lane, where they found evidence of a shooting. What we don't know No one involved in this case has been identified at this time. The only information available about the suspect is that he was a male wearing dark-colored clothes and a mask, and he was a dark-colored Ford Bronco. Officials say the deceased victim was 26 years old, and the injured victim is 31 years old. It's not clear why one of the victims was detained by deputies. The Source OnScene and Sgt. Pinkins with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
