John Deaton, who ran final 12 months as a Republican in opposition to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, is contemplating difficult U.S. Sen. Ed Markey throughout the 2026 election.
However there are caveats.
“I would consider running again, but if I ran again, I wouldn’t run against a Trump-endorsed candidate in the primary because I’m not interested in running against President Trump,” Deaton stated. “Now, if it looked like … President Trump and the administration approved of my candidacy because they see that I can win, and I didn’t have to spend all my money to win a primary, then absolutely I would think about it again.”
The 57-year-old who moved to Massachusetts final 12 months from Rhode Island ran a well-financed marketing campaign in opposition to Warren that noticed him win the Republican main in September however lose to Warren within the November basic election after pulling in 40% of the three.5 million votes forged.
A possible Republican marketing campaign from Deaton comes as Democrats are nonetheless going through a nationwide reckoning over the age of a few of their elected officers after President Joe Biden stepped out of final 12 months’s presidential race following stinging backlash from his personal get together.
No different Republican has publicly stated they’re difficult the 78-year-old U.S. senator. U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a Newtonville Democrat, stated final month that he’s not ruling out primarying Markey after rumors circulated that he was contemplating a marketing campaign.
A spokesperson for Markey didn’t instantly reply to a Herald inquiry Wednesday. Markey stated final 12 months that he would search a 3rd time period within the U.S. Senate.
Deaton had $48,336 money readily available as of Dec. 31, 2024, in line with federal marketing campaign finance knowledge. Markey had greater than $2.2 million in his marketing campaign account as of March 31, the information confirmed.
Deaton launched his bid to unseat Warren in February 2024 after transferring from Rhode Island to Swansea in March. He has beforehand labored as a cryptocurrency and Mesothelioma legal professional and served in the US Marine Corps.
He rose out of poverty after being raised by a single mom in a northern suburb of Detroit, Michigan, and pitched his life story as one in all an individual overcoming early challenges in life to later discover success in legislation at each New England Regulation and in his personal enterprise.
His marketing campaign in opposition to Warren targeted on the financial system, an inflow of migrants to Massachusetts, corruption in Washington, political division, and politicians he argued have forgotten concerning the constituents they symbolize.
However Deaton was unable to beat Warren’s identify recognition and Democratic backing even after pouring $1 million of his money into his marketing campaign.
So far as difficult Markey, Deaton was adamant that he didn’t wish to compete in a Republican main if President Donald Trump endorsed one other candidate or actively opposed his marketing campaign.
“I’m just being honest with you. That would play, obviously, a factor in my decision making,” he stated. “I’m not actively looking for an endorsement either, just kind of waiting and seeing how it plays out.”
A survey performed by Survey USA and paid for by backers of Deaton discovered he initially trails Markey by 19 factors in a 2026 matchup. However after some background info is shared, Deaton leads Markey by 3 factors, in line with the survey.
Deaton stated the ballot additionally discovered that 60% of these surveyed had an unfavorable opinion of Trump.
“How do you finagle that?” Deaton informed the Herald. “That’s the $64 million question, where he is still unpopular by the majority of the electorate here.”
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