Lauren Pinkston

Lauren Pinkston is an independent candidate for governor from Columbia and a former assistant professor at Lipscomb University. She began as a public school teacher, holds a doctorate from Clemson University and has started businesses employing survivors of human trafficking; this is her first campaign.[1]

Pinkston describes herself as a seventh-generation Tennessean who grew up in Stantonville and is the mother of four.[1] She graduated from McNairy Central High School and earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Freed-Hardeman University in 2009.[1][2]

She taught fourth grade in Memphis from 2009 to 2010 and in Greenwood, South Carolina, from 2010 to 2012, then earned a doctorate from Clemson University in 2019.[1][2] From 2020 to 2023 she was an assistant professor of business as mission at Lipscomb University.[1] Ballotpedia lists business development among her career experience.[2]

Pinkston spent years in Thailand and Laos and started businesses employing survivors of human trafficking.[1] She filed to run for governor as an independent on February 13, 2026.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.