Ty Pinkins
Mississippi lawyer and military veteran who left the Democratic Party in 2025.
Ty Pinkins ran as an Independent in Mississippi's 2026 Senate race, where Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith trailed Scott Colom by 2,990 votes as of 10 November. Pinkins and the other minor names held about 2.2% on 4 November, more than that margin.
Last refreshed: 11 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Ty Pinkins
Mentioned in: Colom's Mississippi lead widens to 2,990
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Colom tops Hyde-Smith by under 100 votes
US Midterms 2026Background
Ty Pinkins ran as an Independent in Mississippi's 2026 US Senate race. On 4 November he and the other minor names on the ballot held about 2.2% of the vote, while Scott Colom led Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by under 100 votes. Colom's lead grew to 2,990 by 10 November, and counties certify on 13 November.
Pinkins served 21 years in the military, with three combat tours, and holds two law degrees from Georgetown University. He was the Democratic nominee for Mississippi Secretary of State in 2023 and for the US Senate in 2024, when Roger Wicker beat him 62.8% to 37.2%. He left the Democratic Party in 2025.
In late October 2026 Pinkins said he would stay in the race after some Democratic supporters urged him to step aside; ballots were already printed. Mississippi holds no runoff for the seat, so the minor share, larger than the margin, bore directly on a plurality race.
Who is Ty Pinkins?
Why did Ty Pinkins run as an independent?
How did Ty Pinkins do in 2024?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 11 November 2026. Editorial standards.