Mississippi Senate Candidate Forums Scheduled Before Election

Published July 15, 2026

Two separate organizations have scheduled public forums ahead of Mississippi’s U.S. Senate election, each designed to give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates before Election Day. Although the events are being organized independently, both share the same purpose: giving Mississippi voters a chance to hear candidates answer questions, discuss important issues, and explain their positions before casting their ballots.

Independent Candidate Ty Pinkins shared his remarks in a video posted on YouTube, where he explained why he accepted both forum invitations and encouraged the other candidates to participate. The video also outlines his concerns about candidate participation in the upcoming forums. Readers who would like to watch his complete statement can view it here

TWO PUBLIC FORUMS PLANNED

Two separate organizations have scheduled public forums ahead of Mississippi’s U.S. Senate election, each designed to give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates before Election Day. Although the events are being organized independently, both share the same objective: giving Mississippi voters a chance to hear candidates answer questions, discuss important issues, and explain their positions before casting their ballots.

According to Pinkins, the first forum is scheduled for September 28 at Millsaps College in Jackson, MS. He said the event is being organized by the League of Women Voters of the Jackson Area, Millsaps College, and Women for Progress of Mississippi. The forum is also expected to be broadcast live on WJTV 12, allowing viewers across the state to watch the discussion.

A second forum is scheduled for September 30 at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. According to Pinkins, the event is a collaborative effort involving several organizations, including Mississippi Votes, the University of Southern Mississippi Center for Community Engagement, the League of Women Voters Pine Belt Chapter, Mississippi MOVE, the Forrest County NAACP, and the Omega Psi Phi Mighty Rho Chapter. Together, these organizations represent universities, civic groups, voting organizations, and community leaders working to provide voters with an opportunity to hear directly from candidates before Election Day. Although each forum has different organizers, both were created with the same purpose: helping Mississippi voters make informed decisions before they cast their ballots.

CANDIDATE PARTICIPATION

Pinkins said he accepted invitations to participate in both public forums and encouraged the other candidates in the race to do the same. According to his statement, Democratic candidate Scott Colom declined the invitation to the September 28 forum at Millsaps College, while incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had not responded to that invitation when the statement was released.

Regarding the September 30 forum at the University of Southern Mississippi, Pinkins said neither Hyde-Smith nor Colom had publicly committed to participating at the time. Michael McGill has not independently verified the participation status of the other campaigns and will update this article if additional information becomes available. At the time this article was published, neither the Hyde-Smith nor Colom campaign had publicly explained its participation status in response to Pinkins’ statement. As a result, Michael McGill cannot determine the reasons behind those decisions or whether participation plans may change before the scheduled events.

Candidate forums are voluntary, and campaigns make their own decisions about whether to participate. As the election approaches, the participation status of each candidate may continue to evolve as additional announcements are made by the campaigns or the event organizers.

WHY PUBLIC FORUMS MATTER

Public candidate forums have long been part of the election process because they give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the people seeking public office. Unlike campaign advertisements, social media posts, or prepared speeches, forums place candidates in the same setting, where they respond to similar questions under the same conditions. That format allows voters to compare not only policy positions but also communication styles, leadership approaches, and how candidates respond to issues affecting their communities. While participation is voluntary, many civic organizations continue to organize public forums because they provide an open setting for candidates to discuss issues and answer questions before Election Day. For voters, these events can offer additional context beyond campaign messaging and provide another opportunity to evaluate the individuals asking for their vote.

Pinkins said that opportunity is one reason he believes every candidate should participate in the scheduled forums. In his statement, he described public debates and candidate forums as an important part of the democratic process.

Public debates and candidate forums are essential to a healthy democracy. They give voters an opportunity to see the candidates side by side, compare their positions, evaluate their judgment, and decide who is prepared to represent Mississippians in the US Senate. — Ty Pinkins

Pinkins also contrasted public forums with campaign advertising, saying television commercials and prepared speeches allow candidates to carefully control their message, while live events require candidates to answer questions without a prepared script.

Candidates seeking the public’s trust should also be willing to stand beside their opponents, face voters who may agree or disagree with them, and answer difficult questions without a script.

— Ty Pinkins

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Whether all three candidates ultimately participate in the scheduled forums remains uncertain. As the election approaches, voters will likely learn more as campaigns announce their plans or respond to the invitations issued by the sponsoring organizations. If the forums proceed as scheduled, they will provide Mississippi voters with another opportunity to hear candidates discuss issues, explain their priorities, and answer questions before Election Day. The events are designed to place candidates in the same public setting, allowing voters to compare their responses before casting their ballots.

Because this is a developing story, additional announcements may be made by the campaigns or the organizations hosting the forums. Michael McGill will continue monitoring both events and will update this article if new information becomes available regarding candidate participation, scheduling, or event details.

WHY CANDIDATES SOMETIMES DECLINE DEBATES

Public debates are often viewed as an important part of the election process, but campaigns do not always see them the same way. Although debates give voters an opportunity to hear candidates answer questions in the same setting, campaigns often weigh the potential benefits against the possible risks before deciding whether to participate.

One of the most common reasons is simple political strategy. A candidate who holds a comfortable lead in polling may see little advantage in debating. From that perspective, appearing on stage with an opponent can provide the challenger with free exposure and an opportunity to reach voters who may not have been paying attention to the race. Campaign strategists often describe this as giving an opponent a larger platform than they would otherwise have. Debates also carry significant risk. A single mistake, confusing answer, or awkward moment can quickly spread across television, social media, and news coverage. While a strong debate performance may have only a limited effect on an election, a highly publicized misstep can dominate campaign coverage for days. For candidates who believe they are already in a strong position, avoiding that risk may seem like the safer strategy.

Some campaigns also raise concerns about the structure of a debate. Candidates have occasionally declined invitations because they disagreed with the moderator, questioned the neutrality of the sponsoring organization, objected to the debate format, or believed the rules would place them at a disadvantage. These concerns have been raised by candidates from both major political parties in elections across the country. Campaigns must also balance limited time and resources. Preparing for a debate often requires days of policy briefings, mock debates, travel, and media preparation. Some campaigns conclude that spending that time meeting voters, raising campaign funds, or knocking on doors will have a greater impact than participating in a public forum. Political scientists also note that debates do not always change election outcomes as much as many voters assume. Because many voters have already decided whom they will support, campaigns may conclude that the potential downside of a debate outweighs the potential benefit.

Ultimately, every campaign makes its own decision about whether to participate in public debates or candidate forums. Those decisions are often based on strategy rather than a single factor. While debates remain an important tradition for many voters and civic organizations, there is no legal requirement that candidates participate.

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