Ty Pinkins is a Rolling Fork native and decorated U.S. Army veteran who served 21 years on active duty, including three combat tours in Iraq, earning the Bronze Star. Born to a tractor driver family and raised in the Mississippi Delta, he worked cotton fields as a youth. After military service, he attended law school at Georgetown University, earning both a J.D. (2020) and LL.M. in National Security Law (2021). He served as a presidential communications aide at the White House under both Republican and Democratic presidents. After retiring from the military, he co-founded The Pyramid Project (a nonprofit for low-income youth), worked as a public interest attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice, advocating for eviction-threatened families and workers cheated of wages, and became the first African-American attorney in Rolling Fork. He ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat against Roger Wicker in 2024 (lost by 25+ points) and for Secretary of State in 2023. Frustrated by lack of Democratic Party support and what he characterized as 'gatekeeping,' he left the Democratic Party in June 2025 to run as an Independent for U.S. Senate.
Ty Pinkins is the son of a tractor driver from Rolling Fork in the Mississippi Delta. He grew up in poverty, working cotton fields as a teenager to help his family. Despite financial hardship, he completed his education while serving in the U.S. Army for 21 years, achieving the rank of decorated officer and earning a Bronze Star. He served three combat tours in Iraq and worked at the White House under both Republican and Democratic administrations. After military retirement, he attended Georgetown Law School while living on military bases worldwide, earning his law degree and master's degree in national security law. Upon returning to Mississippi, he co-founded a nonprofit serving low-income youth and worked as a public interest attorney fighting for eviction-threatened families and exploited workers. He became the first African-American attorney in his hometown and was recognized for his advocacy work and civil rights commitment.