Ty Pinkins announces campaign for US Senate

Grant McLaughlin, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
Updated ·2 min read

Ty Pinkins on Monday announced his campaign to run for the United States Senate and said he hopes to focus on three key issues during his campaign: healthcare, education and the economy.

“I am running because I am concerned about the direction in which our country is going,” Pinkins said during a press conference at the Mississippi State Capitol Building. “Families are struggling to make ends meet because life is more expensive for Mississippians. Women’s reproductive rights are under attack by politicians and unelected judges, and our very democracy is being threatened by those who wish to tear down the institutional safeguards provided by our Founding Fathers that have guided us for centuries.”

Pinkins previously announced his bid for the Senate in January 2023, but also ran for Secretary of State this past year against Republican incumbent Michael Watson, replacing Democratic candidate Shuwaski Young, who dropped out in August due to health reasons.

Ty Pinkins announces his candidacy for the United States Senate on Jan. 8, 2024, in the rotunda of the Mississippi State Capitol Building.
Ty Pinkins announces his candidacy for the United States Senate on Jan. 8, 2024, in the rotunda of the Mississippi State Capitol Building.

Pinkins said if elected to the United States Senate, he hopes to expand Medicaid in Mississippi, which could provide government-funded health insurance for millions of Mississippians.

Pinkins also hopes to one day create more higher-paying jobs for Mississippians, as well as provide more funding for public schools in Mississippi to create a better education for students.

“I believe every student should have access to a meaningful, high-quality education,” he said. “That starts with adequately and equitably funding public schools, so all students have access to a quality education. It is our duty to provide a solid educational system for the good of our citizens and our state.”

Pinkins is also an attorney, Army veteran and native of Vicksburg. He previously worked as an attorney at the Mississippi Center for Justice from 2020 to 2022 and in 2015 founded the Pyramid Project, a youth organization that provides mentorship and development opportunities.

If Pinkins wins the Democratic nomination, he will face off against the Republican nominee on Nov. 5.

Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker announced his candidacy last year, as well as Dan Eubanks, who currently serves as a house member for Desoto County. Republican Timothy Burton announced his bid Jan. 2.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Pinkins announces bid for US Senate