Senator Elizabeth Warren faces possible campaign challenger in attorney John Deaton

By Haley Clough 

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Attorney and cryptocurrency advocate John Deaton is allegedly preparing a campaign against incumbent Senator Elizabeth Warren. Deaton’s Republican platform would be a stark shift from Sen. Warren’s Democratic ideologies if Deaton were to replace Warren after elections in September 2024.

Deaton, who previously lived in New Jersey, moved to Swansea, Massachusetts, to be eligible to run for office. According to The Boston Globe, Deaton is planning to contribute $500,000 of his own money toward his campaign, and is working with the Jim Conroy, the campaign manager of former Gov. Charlie Baker, on creating a viable campaign. According to the Globe, Warren raised $850,000 in election campaign funds last year. 

Warren’s platform is based heavily on economic reform, prescription drug costs and drug abuse, and protections for consumers. In particular, Warren is in strong opposition to cryptocurrency, which is not something Deaton has overlooked. Deaton has been a strong proponent of crypto, and has been known to call out Warren on X (formerly Twitter) regarding her anti-crypto comments. 

Warren has been a popular political figure in Massachusetts since 2013, and was fairly well received during the 2020 election cycle, when she ran for president. Currently, her favorability is under scrutiny by Republicans, who argue her popularity is decreasing. According to a 2023 survey by MassINC Polling, her favorability with Massachusetts voters is around 41% . 

The Globe reports that if Deaton were to run against Warren this fall, he would be the first major GOP challenger for the senator. Deaton’s controversies include arrest for assault and connections to crypto company Ripple Labs, which was accused of illegally selling over $1 billion dollars in crypto, according to the Globe. Regarding these controversies, Deaton said on X, “there’s nothing they can threaten me with and no skeleton in the closet.”

Deaton is also quick to criticize politicians of all parties on social media, calling their policies and systems corrupt. In October of 2023, Deaton called Warren a “[gas] lighting, self-serving hypocrite,” and has also fired comments and retorts at former President Donald Trump, California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. 

In a Tweet from December 2023, Deaton said of his possible election campaign: “I’m not suggesting I would win, but how I would love to confront her.”