Deaton Announces Senate Bid to Topple Markey in Blue Massachusetts

Last night, I attended John Deaton’s U.S. Senate announcement event. He’ll be running as a Republican, likely against 79-year-old Democrat Ed Markey (unless Seth Moulton surprises), who has been in Congress for 52 years.

The event was in Worcester at 6 pm. I arrived 15 minutes early (as a retired military guy, if you are on time, you’re late). There weren’t many people there when I arrived. My first thought was, “Wow, low turnout. This could be embarrassing.”

By 6:30 pm, the place was packed – standing room only. I was surrounded by the Massachusetts GOP leaders, donors, and Deaton supporters. Republican candidates for governor Brian Shortsleeve and Michael Kennealy were in attendance. Each spoke to the crowd for above five minutes as a warm-up to the big announcement. Mike Minogue, the other Republican candidate for governor, was not in attendance.

Let’s rewind a bit.

I had met John Deaton one other time at a Lincoln-Reagan Dinner & Awards last May. I usually don’t attend political events, but I wanted to meet the Massachusetts Republican candidates for Governor and Senate. I got my first handshake with Kennealy, Shortsleeve, and Deaton. The most memorable moment of the night was when Deaton addressed the crowd, a crowd high on President Trump and a few Massachusetts state-level victories.

“Stop patting yourself on the back for 36% (what Trump received in Massachusetts),” I recalled Deaton saying to the crowd. “Let’s knock off the infighting (there is constant infighting among the Baker and Trump Republicans).” It was a reality check for many, but I think the message was lost on most.

Back to last night.

After a 30-minute break from the Kennealy and Shortsleeve speeches, the lights dimmed, and a very well-produced John Deaton campaign video played to a silent crowd. The video detailed Deaton’s journey from poverty to the U.S. Marines to a Massachusetts business owner. It showcased the struggles of Massachusetts families and showed him as a playful dad. The crowd responded positively, then Deaton took the stage to loud applause. Deaton’s speech was about 30 minutes long. You can watch it here.

Who is John Deaton?

John Deaton is an American attorney, author, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and former Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. Born into extreme poverty in Detroit, Michigan, Deaton rose from a challenging childhood marked by abuse and hardship to become a successful trial lawyer advocating for underdogs, including asbestos victims and cryptocurrency holders.

He challenged popular incumbent Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren in the 2024 election, emphasizing solutions to issues like government spending, immigration, and veteran support, though he ultimately lost the race 60% to 40%.

Deaton’s story, chronicled in his bestselling memoir Food Stamp Warrior, highlights themes of resilience, self-reliance, and service to others.

Early Life

Deaton was born in 1967 in Highland Park, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, in a neighborhood long ranked among the poorest and most dangerous in the United States. Growing up amid the decline of the auto industry, he experienced generational poverty and widespread violence. As one of six siblings born to a single mother, Mary Mills, and an absent father, Deaton’s family depended on food stamps, welfare, and odd jobs for survival.

His childhood was further scarred by physical and sexual abuse, fostering a “survival-first” mentality. On his first day at Highland Park High School, he was held at gunpoint, contributing to his decision to drop out like his siblings. However, with support from a small Catholic school offering discounted tuition—which he helped pay for through work—Deaton became the first in his family to graduate high school.

Education

Defying the odds, Deaton earned a partial scholarship to Eastern Michigan University, where he graduated magna cum laude despite a cancer diagnosis in his junior year. In 1992, he was accepted to Boston’s New England School of Law, funding his education through affordable housing in Roxbury and jobs as a runner and server at Legal Seafoods. He graduated cum laude in 1995 with a Juris Doctor.

Today, Deaton serves as an adjunct instructor in Evidence and Trial Advocacy at Roger Williams University School of Law.

Military Service

While in law school, Deaton enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1994. Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, he was assigned to the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona, where he served as Marine Senior Defense Counsel and later Chief Prosecutor. He also acted as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. Subsequently, he taught Evidence and Trial Advocacy at the Naval Justice School and Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

Deaton was medically retired in 2002 due to a non-combat injury, earning the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Legal Career and Advocacy

For over two decades, Deaton has practiced law in Massachusetts and neighboring states, founding Deaton Law Firm in 2006. Specializing in personal injury and mesothelioma cases, he has represented cancer and asbestos victims against Fortune 100 companies, often traveling to Washington, D.C., to lobby against legislation that would limit such litigation. A notable pro bono effort in 2017 involved personally funding global testing of Claire’s makeup kits, which revealed asbestos contamination; his advocacy led to product recalls and revised safety standards.

Deaton’s interests extend to cryptocurrency, having invested in Bitcoin since 2016 for its potential to empower the unbanked. In 2020, he filed a groundbreaking amicus brief in the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple (XRP), representing over 75,000 token holders and developing a novel legal theory that contributed to a favorable ruling. This work earned him the Defender of Freedom Award and involvement in subsequent SEC cases.

Personal Life

Deaton is a cancer survivor and father to three daughters. He resides in Bolton, Massachusetts. His eldest daughter recently graduated from the University of Southern California and lives in California; his second daughter is a senior at UMass Amherst; and his youngest is entering kindergarten. Deaton often credits his mother’s strength for shaping his values of perseverance and family.

In 2023, he published Food Stamp Warrior, a memoir detailing his escape from poverty, abuse, and violence. Dedicated to his mother, it became an Amazon bestseller within 24 hours of release.

Political Career

Deaton entered politics as a Republican challenger to Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the 2024 Massachusetts U.S. Senate race, positioning himself as a “champion for underdogs” and critic of career politicians beholden to special interests. With no prior elected experience, his platform focused on fiscal responsibility (curbing spending and debt to combat inflation), immigration reform (securing borders while expanding legal pathways), veteran support (enhanced healthcare and mental health services), poverty alleviation through self-reliance, and government transparency (e.g., term limits—he pledged a self-imposed two-term limit—and bans on congressional stock trading and lobbying).

He won the Republican primary on September 3, 2024, defeating Robert Antonellis and Ian Cain with 64.5% of the vote. In the general election on November 5, 2024, Deaton garnered 40% (1,365,445 votes) to Warren’s 59.8% (2,041,693 votes).

Major Challenges Ahead

Deaton enters the Massachusetts Senate race as a significant underdog.

While Massachusetts faces a high cost of living, a recent $3 billion migrant crisis (which spiked homelessness in the state), low economic growth, and a leadership that has ignored 72% of the voters regarding a legislative audit, Democrats still have a political stranglehold on the state.

While Republicans have had success winning governor seats over the years (Weld, Romney, and Baker), outside of a special election victory by Scott Brown, Republicans have not won regular Massachusetts U.S Senate elections in more than five decades. Edward Brooke was the last Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts in a standard general election in 1972. Democrats have dominated the Senate elections since 1978, when Democrat Paul Tsongas defeated Brooke.

Even with significant problems in Massachusetts today, Governor Maura Healey has a 59% approval rating, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was easily re-elected. This is a reality too many Republicans in the state dismiss, and why they’ll likely lose big again in 2026. Senator Elizabeth Warren received 60% of the vote against Deaton in 2024. What will Deaton and the Mass GOP do differently this time around?

The Massachusetts GOP can’t figure out how to field candidates across Massachusetts in a meaningful way. In 2024, Massachusetts held elections for all 160 state representative (House) seats and all 40 state senator (Senate) seats. Based on candidate filings, 131 House races and 29 Senate races were uncontested. This made Massachusetts the least competitive state for legislative elections that year, with just 29 contested House races (18.1% of total) and 11 contested Senate races (27.5% of total), per Ballotpedia’s analysis.

For Deaton (or any of the Republican Governor candidates mentioned above) to have a chance, he’ll need a significant candidate turnout, which will result in a higher voter turnout. The current Massachusetts GOP leadership hasn’t shown the ability to recruit enough candidates in the past, and I haven’t seen a change in strategy heading into 2026.

Regardless, John Deaton seems to be the kind of Republican who can do well with Democrats and Independents, and it’s good to see him step up to challenge both the Democratic and Republican status quo in Massachusetts.