Army veteran Ty Pinkins announces campaign against US Sen. Roger Wicker

Jan. 4—JACKSON — Ty Pinkins, an Army veteran and attorney, announced on Tuesday that he intends to challenge U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Tupelo for a seat on the U.S. Senate.

Pinkins, a Vicksburg resident, said in a press release that he is running against the longtime Republican senator because he is concerned about the direction American is heading.

"Inflation is making life more expensive for Mississippians," said Pinkins, who plans to run as a Democrat. "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."

A native of the Delta, Pinkins said he sometimes grew up impoverished, living in a home that lacked even a bathroom. Pinkins said he knew from an early age the importance of every dollar for families living in poverty.

"My family depended on food stamps, struggling to survive on my father's salary from driving a tractor," Pinkins said. "My parents did their best to support their children and teach us the value of hard work."

If elected to the 100-member U.S. Senate, Pinkins said he would work to connect more Mississippians to adequate health care and increase funding for public schools.

Should Pinkins file official paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, he would face an uphill battle. Wicker has held the seat for more than 15 years, and ousting a longtime Republican incumbent in a deeply conservative state like Mississippi will prove to be a challenge.

Phillip Waller, the communications director for Wicker, said in a statement that Wicker will also run for re-election next year.

"He looks forward to running a strong campaign founded on his record of accomplishments for Mississippians," Waller said.

The election for the Senate seat Wicker currently holds will take place in November 2024.

taylor.vance@djournal.com

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