Mississippi midterm U.S. Senate race kicks off as Pinkins announces run against Hyde-Smith

• Ty Pinkins is quickly becoming a perennial candidate for the Mississippi Democratic Party.

For the third time in as many years, Ty Pinkins has announced another run for office in the Magnolia State. He is quickly becoming a perennial candidate for the Mississippi Democratic Party.

On Thursday, Pinkins, an U.S. Army veteran and attorney, announced that he would be challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in the 2026 midterm elections.

Pinkins began running for U.S. Senate in 2022 but suspended his announced campaign in 2023 to become the replacement candidate when now former Democrat Shuwaski Young withdrew as the party’s nominee in the 2023 election for Secretary of State. Young has since switched to the Republican Party.

Pinkins lost that statewide race by nearly 20 points – 59.5 percent to 40.5 percent – to incumbent Republican Secretary Michael Watson.

Pinkins then stepped back into campaigning for U.S. Senate in 2024, running unopposed in the Democratic Party Primary. He faced incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Roger Wicker in the November General Election where he lost by nearly 25 points – 62.8 percent to 37.2 percent – to Wicker.

Now, Pinkins says he is ready to challenge Senator Hyde-Smith in 2026 to provide “a fresh new prospective and a clear alternative for representation in Washington.”

“I’m running for the U.S. Senate because I believe in Mississippi and the power of our people to shape the future,” Pinkins said in his announcement. “It’s time we come together and chart a new course – one that ensures opportunity, prosperity, and security for every Mississippian.”

He said his campaign would focus on making healthcare more affordable and accessible in rural areas as well as expanding economic opportunities and strengthening educational investments.

According to campaign finance records with the Federal Election Commission, during the full duration of his previous U.S. Senate campaign, which spanned nearly two years, Pinkins took in just over $1 million and was left with less than $3,000 cash on hand in his post-election report.

By comparison, Senator Hyde-Smith’s latest campaign finance report from December 2024 shows her with nearly $477,000 cash on hand.

Senator Hyde-Smith was reportedly being considered as a potential pick by President Donald Trump to fill the Secretary of Agriculture post. However, soon after the November election, Hyde-Smith said her plans were to remain in the Senate “and continue to deliver for the people of Mississippi.” 

She also said at that time that she plans to seek re-election in 2026.

Hyde-Smith served in the Mississippi Senate for three terms, running and winning as a Democrat in 1999, 2003, and 2007. She switched to the Republican Party in 2010, citing her conservative values as being pro-life, pro-family, pro-business and pro-Second Amendment.

She ran for Agriculture Commissioner in 2011 as a Republican, winning the race to become the first female to hold the office in state history. Hyde-Smith went on to win re-election in 2015, and three years later was appointed by former Governor Phil Bryant (R) to the U.S. Senate, again making state history as the first female to hold a federal office from Mississippi.

Hyde-Smith won the 2018 special election to fill the unexpired U.S. Senate term, defeating former Agricultural Secretary Espy, a Democrat, in a runoff election by nearly 8 points. Hyde-Smith then won a full six-year term in 2020, again defeating Espy by 10 points.

As of the time of this reporting, now other candidates are listed with the FEC as having filed their intent to seek the junior U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi.