YOU TALK. I LISTEN. WE DO!
"I believe the most important thing a leader must do is listen. And, this is the big thing that is missing in Washington today. That's why our campaign is driven by you talking, telling me what's important to you and your family; me listening, waking up each day thinking about what you say is important to your family and your community; and you and I working together to move Mississippi forward."
~Ty Pinkins
Ty Pinkins grew up in poverty and rose to achieve the American Dream. He was the first person in his family to graduate high school, attend college, become an Army Officer, and to become a lawyer.
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Ty is now running for U.S. Senate to ensure every Mississippian has that same opportunity to achieve the American Dream.
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Raised in the Mississippi Delta, sometimes in a home without a bathroom, the oldest of four children, Ty Pinkins grew up knowing the value of hard work. His family depended on food stamps, struggling to make ends meet on his father's salary from driving a tractor. His parents did their best to support their children and teach them the value of hard work. Throughout his teenage years, Ty chopped cotton to help his parents pay the bills.
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Now, as a lawyer and community organizer in the Mississippi Delta, Ty works to ensure Mississippians, who are willing to work, have access to quality jobs that pay well. That's why he stood up for workers facing discriminatory wage practices that cheated workers out of their hard-earned pay.
Ty believes health care is a fundamental human right for which we should continue fighting. That's why he will fight so that Mississippian is adequately covered and no family goes broke from paying the expenses of filling a prescription.
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When Ty was in high school, his father was a star athlete on the community baseball team. He played center field. Later, Ty's dad became the team's coach, mentoring young men to do something constructive with their life. When Ty left for the military, his dad was one of the healthiest people he knew. When Ty returned home several years later, because of diabetes his dad was a double amputee and nearly blind. His dad had to quit working on the farm, lost the one vehicle the family depended on, and almost lost the mobile home in which they were living.
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Residents in low-income communities face significant challenges in accessing affordable healthcare. That's why Ty supports the expansion of Medicaid in Mississippi, which would make an additional 220,000 Mississippians eligible for coverage.
Ty's family moved from plantation to plantation, landing wherever his dad could find work as a tractor driver. One of the houses he grew up in was just a shack on a dirt road next to a cotton field. When they first moved in, there was no indoor bathroom. Eventually, the plantation owner knocked a hole in the wall and pulled a portable bathroom up to cover the opening.
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Housing is the largest expense for most families and the biggest purchase they will make in their lifetimes. Where a person lives affects the jobs available to them, the schools their children can attend, and the kinds of communities in which they can live.
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For too many Mississippians, housing is either unavailable or unaffordable. From the Mississippi Delta to the Gulf Coast, Mississippians should be able to find quality housing and be able to pay their rent or mortgage. Ty knows the current housing situation in Mississippi is unacceptable. In the U.S. Senate, he will fight to deliver quality, affordable housing for all. That's why he will work to cut middle class taxes and fight for more funding for affordable housing in low-income communities.
Ty attended public school growing up in the Mississippi Delta. His parents instilled in him the importance of a good education. After graduation, he enrolled in Tougaloo College for three years before joining the Army. While on active duty, he earned his degree. Years later, he completed law school using the GI Bill.
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Ty believes every student should have access to a meaningful, high-quality education. And that starts with adequately and equitably funding public k-12 schools so all students have access to quality public education.
The Mississippi Delta has some of the most fertile farmland in the country. Just about anything can be grown in the Delta. That's why our environment is our most important economic resource.
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Ty chopped cotton as a teenager and grew up on farms throughout the Delta. He takes seriously the importance farming plays in Mississippi. He will fight to protect our agricultural environment because so many Mississippians' jobs and way of life are on the line.
A decorated veteran of the U.S. Army, Ty served honorably on active duty for 21 years, including three tours in combat—earning the Bronze Star for his actions. He understands protecting our nation, which includes ensuring the safety of Americans and maintaining our values and institutions, is of the utmost importance.
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That's why after retiring from the Army, Ty earned his Juris Doctorate, and Master of Law degree in National Security Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He understands that every nation faces threats, and he will fight to safeguard against challenges to our nation's power and sovereignty.
