Two Republicans and one Democrat are challenging incumbent Sen. Roger Wicker

Voters will see four candidates on the ballots — three on the Republican primary ballot and one on the Democratic primary ballot — vying for the nomination of Mississippi's United States Senator when they go to the polls for the March 12 primaries.

Incumbent Roger Wicker, a Republican who has held the seat since 2007, is facing off against conservatives Ghannon Burton and Dan Eubanks on Republican primary ballots.

Lone Democrat Ty Pinkins will be on the Democratic primary ballot. He is facing no Democratic Party opposition, therefore, will nab the Democratic nomination and face the Republican challenger come General Election Day on Nov. 5.

The winner of the Nov. 5 election will join U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Washington. She was elected to the senate seat in 2020.

Who is Ty Pinkins?

A native of Rolling Fork, Pinkins, 50, announced his campaign in January and is focusing on three key issues: healthcare, education and the economy. He previously announced his intent to run in January 2023. That same year he also lost his bid to become Mississippi's Secretary of State to Republican Michael Watson.

Pinkins did not respond to the Clarion Ledger's request for comment for this story.

“I am running because I am concerned about the direction in which our country is going,” Pinkins said during a press conference at the Mississippi State Capitol Building on Jan. 8. “Families are struggling to make ends meet because life is more expensive for Mississippians. Women’s reproductive rights are under attack by politicians and unelected judges, and our very democracy is being threatened by those who wish to tear down the institutional safeguards provided by our Founding Fathers that have guided us for centuries.”

A native of Rolling Fork, Pinkins is a Civil Rights attorney, who graduated from Georgetown University, according to his campaign website. He was an active duty member of the U.S. Army for 21 years, serving three tours in Iraq and received the Bronze Star for his service.

As of Feb. 21, Pinkins' campaign has raised just under $99,000 and has spent just over $93,000. His current cash on hand is $5,501.63, which accounts for the total amount of money in his Federal Elections Commission account.

Incumbent Roger Wicker

Longtime Mississippi Republican Roger Wicker, 72, is looking to secure his fourth term as a United States Senator representing Mississippi.

The Pontotoc native was first elected as a senator in 2007. Before serving as a U.S. Senator, Wicker was elected seven times to represent Mississippi's First Congressional District in the House of Representatives — starting in 1994. He also served as a state senator on behalf of Lee and Pontotoc counties, according to his campaign website.

When asked why he is running for reelection, Wicker responded to the Clarion Ledger in an email:

"The radical Biden-Harris agenda has made America weaker and less secure. As the leading Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am fighting to block and push back against as much of the Biden agenda as possible," Wicker said in the emailed response. "For example, in the most recent National Defense Authorization Act, I was able to slash funding for the 'woke' Biden DEI agenda at the Pentagon, included language ensuring military promotions are based on merit, not race or gender, and passed provisions to improve border security, including the Finish It Act to force the administration to continue border wall construction."

As a U.S. Senator, Wicker is currently the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and served as the chairman of the committee in the previous two congresses. Other committee assignments include the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee.

As of Feb. 21, Wicker's campaign has raised just over $7.5 million, according his Federal Elections Commission Account — far more than his Republican challengers. His campaign has spent just over $5.1 million since 2019, with current cash on hand sitting at $4.2 million, which accounts for the total amount of money in his account.

Who are the other Republicans running against Wicker?

Ghannon Burton and Dan Eubanks are the two Republicans who are hoping to replace Wicker and take his seat as U.S. Senator.

Burton and Eubanks did not respond to the Clarion Ledger's requests for comment for this story.

Ghannon Burton

Burton, who has never held a position in elected office, is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps where he served for 30 years, according to his campaign website. He retired in December 2021 and finished his career as a colonel.

"He finished his career at the Pentagon and retired for many reasons, including; vaccine mandates, the 'wokeness' that he saw politicizing our service members, and the stolen election," his website reads. "Further, he found it clear that there was a lack of critical thinking in senior leaders. This is in addition to their willingness to go with plans and policies that put service members at unnecessary risk."

Other issues Burton's campaign is focused on are securing the border, stopping rising inflation costs, "restoring the military" and stopping the weaponization of government.

"It is clear our justice system is being used to enforce a political ideology," his website reads. "This must come to an immediate end. We will defund any agency or program which is being used to promote a political agenda. We must have equal justice under the law."

As of Feb 21, Burton's campaign has raised just over $133,000 and spent $103,000, according to his Federal Elections Commission account. His current cash-on-hand amount sits at just under $30,000, which accounts for the total amount of money in his account.

Dan Eubanks

Eubanks currently serves in the Mississippi House of Republicans, where he represents District 25 in North Mississippi. He secured his second term during last year's state elections.

Before entering politics, Eubanks was a businessman turned pastor, according to his campaign website. A resident of Desoto County for 35 years, Eubanks currently serves as the director of recreation and local outreach, as well as the interim campus pastor for Advent Presbyterian Church in Tennessee.

His website is filled with short videos of key issues he is campaigning on, including First and Second Amendment protections, immigration and border control, U.S. involvement in Russia's War Against Ukraine, his stance on Jan. 6 and the anti-abortion movement, among others.

Eubanks has authored several pieces of legislation during his time as state representative, including the Mississippi Religious Freedom bill and the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022. He also co-authored the 15 Week Abortion Ban bill in 2019, saying it "was ultimately responsible for the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade."

As of Feb 21, Eubanks campaign has raised just under $50,000 and spent $15,000 on operating expenditures, according to his Federal Elections Commission account. His cash on hand sits at just under $50,000, which accounts for the total amount of money in his account.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: See who is running to become Mississippi's next U.S. Senator