Pinkins qualifies for U.S. Senate ballot as Independent 

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — After a months-long door knocking effort spanning the state, and collecting over 1,000 certified signatures, Ty Pinkins has officially qualified for the 2026 U.S. Senate ballot in Mississippi—as an Independent.

Pinkins, a native of Rolling Fork and a U.S. Army veteran who served three combat tours, crisscrossed Mississippi over the past several months, gathering signatures from voters in towns large and small—meeting them on porches, in parking lots, at festivals, and in church foyers.

“I didn’t buy my way onto the ballot—I walked my way there,” said Pinkins. “Signature by signature, conversation by conversation, Mississippians showed me that they’re ready for something different. They want leaders who listen, who serve, and who never forget who they work for.”

While major party candidates are allowed to simply pay a filing fee to qualify for the ballot, Independent candidates in Mississippi are required to collect and certify at least 1,000 signatures from registered voters across the state—a process Pinkins called both “rigorous and reaffirming.”

“Every name on that petition represents a handshake, a story, a moment of trust,” said Pinkins. “This campaign isn’t powered by consultants and party insiders—it’s powered by the people.”

The campaign’s petitioning effort drew support from across the political spectrum, with voters in cities and rural communities alike embracing Pinkins’ message of accountability, access, and people-first leadership.

Pinkins, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and the first Black city attorney of Rolling Fork, will now appear on the November 2026 ballot as an Independent candidate for the United States Senate.

“This is about more than getting my name on the ballot,” Pinkins added. “It’s about restoring faith in a democracyof the people, by the people, and for the people. And we’re just getting started.”