JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Democrat Ty Pinkins has jogged along highways and past cotton fields to try to draw attention to his effort to unseat Mississippi's senior Republican U.S.
senator, Roger Wicker . Pinkins acknowledges it's a tough campaign. Republican-dominated Mississippi hasn't had a Democrat in the Senate since John C.
Stennis retired in 1989. Pinkins is receiving little financial help from national Democratic organizations, and the state's most powerful Democrat, U.S.
Rep. Bennie Thompson , is sitting on the sidelines in the Senate race. Pinkins, 50, ran unsuccessfully for Mississippi secretary of state last year.
He says his background helps him understand the economic challenges many people face in one of the poorest states in the nation. He grew up in the Delta community of Rolling Fork and became the first in his family to graduate from high school and college. He is a military veteran, attorney and community organizer.
“For every Mississippian that feels left out, left behind and forgotten, I’m running for you," Pinkins, who estimates he has jogged about 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) to draw attention to his Senate race, said in a campaign video. "For those who care about women’s reproductive freedom, I am running for you. For those who are fighting for a more equitable economy for all Mississippians, I am running for you.
” Wicker has raised about $9.5 million and spent $7.7 million, while Pinkins has raised about $919,000 and spent $901,000 through Oct.
.
