Copyright The Boston Globe
Deaton, a 58-year-old cryptocurrency advocate, unsuccessfully ran against Senator Elizabeth Warren during the 2024 election. He launched his campaign on Monday, promising to be an “independent voice” while criticizing Markey, a Democrat who’s held the seat since 2013, as being “MIA.” But his efforts to win his party’s support long predate his official announcement. Deaton has worked for weeks to court state committee members, arguing his fund-raising capabilities and strategy to reach disaffected voters position him well to succeed in a state that has not sent a Republican to the Senate since 2010. A coalition of 11 committee members submitted a letter on Nov. 4 asking the committee to hold a vote on endorsing Deaton at their next meeting. Amy Carnevale, the state GOP chair, said the request followed the group’s bylaws and the vote will be on the agenda for the party’s Nov. 20 gathering. “It’s clear that John Deaton has strong support within the Republican Party and within the leadership of the Mass GOP, and I look forward to hearing from John at the Nov. 20 state committee meeting,” Carnevale told the Globe in a phone interview. Republicans are seeking to stave off the party infighting seen on the other side of the aisle. US Representative Seth Moulton has already announced he will challenge Markey, citing concerns about the 79-year-old senator’s age. US Representative Ayanna Pressley also has not ruled out mounting her own campaign in the Democratic primary. A self-identified former registered Democrat and independent, Deaton said last year during his campaign that he would not vote for Trump, and disclosed that he supported Joe Biden in 2020. In the letter they circulated Monday, the 50-plus state committee members said they have learned more about Deaton since then, and “it is apparent that he has learned from his mistakes.” “A Deaton campaign in 2026 will not be about opposing President Trump; rather, it will be about putting partisan politics aside and doing what is best for Massachusetts,” the letter reads. Carnevale, who is also a state committee member, said she personally has not endorsed Deaton. But she called Deaton “a candidate who has prior experience running for office and has shown an ability to reach out to independent voters and a desire to reach out to disaffected Democrats.” The state committee members’ latest letter praised Deaton’s background as an ex-Marine, and claims he “excelled in an uphill battle against Elizabeth Warren,” a race in which he received roughly 40 percent of the vote and lost to Warren by 20 percentage points. The letter also noted that Deaton, if endorsed by the committee, could save the party money because he has “pledged to invest his personal funds and maintains a large circle of wealthy donors.” The state party has faced serious money troubles in recent years. This fall, for instance, it agreed to pay the state $36,000 to settle allegations it took thousands in illegal donations during the 2022 election. Republicans have told the Globe that Deaton, without guaranteeing he would give a specific dollar amount, has made clear he wants to be a team player, and intends to support the beleaguered party. Should the party endorse him, Deaton could help direct money into its coffers through a lucrative joint fund-raising agreement with national Republicans. He could also make a hefty donation of his own to a legal defense fund set up on the party’s behalf, Republicans told the Globe. A Detroit native, Deaton says he grew up relying on food stamps and public assistance before moving to Massachusetts in 1992 to attend New England Law Boston. He had a Rhode Island law firm that specialized in asbestos cases and moved to Swansea prior to the 2024 election. Deaton, in his campaign launch video released Monday, criticized Markey for his seniority and effectiveness in office, saying the senator is “rarely seen here and rarely delivering results in Washington.” Cam Charbonnier, Markey’s campaign manager, responded to Deaton’s launch in a statement to the Globe, saying Deaton had “already introduced his agenda to Massachusetts voters once and lost in a landslide.” Emma Platoff and Sam Brodey of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
