Pinkins shares his compelling personal journey from the cotton fields to the campaign trail, discusses the failures of both parties, and lays out why Mississippi—and America—need true independent voices now more than ever.

And why independents can win where Democrats (and Republicans) can’t.

America is facing unprecedented division and anxiety, but this is also a moment of new possibilities and bold leadership. In this powerful episode, I continue our Meet the Independent Candidate series w @typinkins.bsky.social —Army veteran, lawyer, lifelong Mississippian, & independent for Senate.

9/9 People like Hershey aren’t just workers.
They’re anchors.
They’re culture keepers.
They’re voters.

They matter.

Let’s build a future where they are seen, heard, and respected.
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8/9 It’s why I came back to Mississippi.
After 21 years in the Army and two law degrees from Georgetown—this is where I’m needed.
To stand with people like Hershey. And my daughter. And you.

7/9 And then Hershey said something that’s stayed with me:

“If everybody leaves and moves on… who’s gonna be here to help fix it?”

That’s the question I’ve been asking too.

6/9 After lunch, I thought about how I’d be dropping my daughter off at her first job later that day—working at Subway in Vicksburg.

She’s learning what Hershey already knows:
Service, dignity, balance, pride—those are life values.

5/9 “I love my customers,” she said.
“We talk about my life, their life. We build a relationship.”
And then she said this:

“Just because I’m serving you… no, I’m still her too.”

4/9 Hershey has worked at Hal & Mal’s for 17 years.
Before that—Waffle House.
Before that—Piccadilly.
She raised two boys in West Jackson. She built a life on love, grit, and consistency.

3/9 We pulled off I-20, coasted down State Street, and parked outside Hal & Mal’s—a Jackson institution.

And there she was again.
Hershey.
She’s been my waitress for years. Always real. Always warm. Always honest.

2/9 As we drove from Vicksburg, I told her about my first job—waiting tables at Shoney’s while I was a student at Tougaloo.
It wasn’t just a job. It was a chance to meet people, brighten their day. That stuck with me.

8/8 I’m running for U.S. Senate to fight back—for my father, for our hospitals, and for every rural Mississippian who deserves dignity and healthcare close to home.
Join us. This fight is far from over.
www.typinkins.com

7/8 In Mississippi, I’ve driven my dad 3 hours round trip just to get basic care. Not because he’s uninsured. But because care is that far away for too many of us.
Now they want to make it worse?

Not on my watch.

6/8 This new law is projected to push 11.8 million more Americans into the ranks of the uninsured by 2034.
It targets people with disabilities. Seniors. Working families. Veterans.

It is cruelty, not policy—and it’s coming straight for rural America.

5/8 In many rural areas, Medicaid is the largest and most reliable payer keeping hospitals open.
Strip that away, and it’s not just coverage people lose—it’s the entire hospital.

No ER. No prenatal care. No specialists. Just shuttered buildings and empty promises.

4/8 Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” was just signed into law.
It guts Medicaid. Cuts Medicare. Ramps up paperwork. And it threatens to close 20 rural hospitals in Mississippi alone.

The consequences will be deadly—especially for people like my dad.

3/8 That little device gave him back something we take for granted: orientation, independence, dignity.
But here’s the hard truth—too many Mississippians are losing far more than just a watch.

They’re losing healthcare.

2/8 My dad is blind. For months, his talking watch—the one that tells him the time and day at the press of a button—had stopped working. So I brought him a new one.
When it spoke, “It’s 3:54 p.m., Wednesday, July 9th,” he smiled and said, “Now I won’t be guessing anymore.”