SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Cambridge) and John Deaton, her challenger for the Massachusetts Senate seat, sparred in a contentious debate in Springfield on Oct. 17. The two clashed on issues running the gamut from immigration to Ukraine, to the role of government. The debate, hosted by New England Public Media and GBH, was the candidates’ second debate in a week.
Warren is running for her third term in the Senate after being first elected in 2012 on a platform of consumer protection and economic equity. She made a name for herself establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under then-President Barack Obama in 2010, after the 2008 housing crash launched the country into the Great Recession.
Deaton is a trial attorney who moved to Massachusetts from Rhode Island in early 2024. He described himself as “independent” and “moderate,” and said that in a closely divided Senate, “who becomes the most important senator in the United States Senate? Me, because maybe I’ll support [legislation], maybe I won’t.”
If elected, Deaton would be the first Massachusetts Republican senator to win a general election since 1972.
Deaton repeatedly referred to his abusive and poverty-stricken upbringing in Detroit as proof that he understood the struggles of working-class people in Massachusetts.
“The single greatest crisis” is the “crisis of leadership,” Deaton said. “Seventy-four million Americans aren’t racists and xenophobes,” he added, referencing the number of people who voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020. He said those people believe the country is going in the wrong direction.
Despite Deaton asserting, “I’ve been the biggest critic of Donald Trump,” Warren attempted to make the race with Deaton a referendum on the former president — and current presidential candidate — and cryptocurrency. She also repeatedly said that 90% of Deaton’s campaign is financed through cryptocurrency-related companies. Deaton disputed this, saying he put $1 million of his own funds into the campaign and raised another $1 million.
Warren later told Reminder Publishing that Deaton’s positions are not in line with Massachusetts voters.
“The people of Massachusetts know me,” said Warren. They know my work from long before I got in Congress and they know how hard I’ve worked for them in the 12 years I’ve been there, and how much I’ve been able to deliver here in Western Massachusetts.”
Immigration
On the topic of immigration, Warren was asked why she sided with Republicans in voting against the bipartisan immigration reform bill that came before the Senate earlier this year. She said that Trump “killed” the bill before it got to the Senate because he wanted to use immigration as a political talking point in the presidential election.
Deaton described immigrants coming across the southern border and being released with a court date nine years into the future. He claimed that some people coming into the country are members of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia group that the United States has designated as a terrorist organization. He also said Warren is not in Massachusetts enough to see the impact of immigration on the state.
Warren said Deaton’s go-to response to all issues is to “blame the immigrant.” She said “It’s not enough to do half of it. You got to do it right.” She said that she would consider any immigration bill that includes border security, work permits, state reimbursements and a path to citizenship.
When Warren spoke about voting for an immigration bill Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) put forth in 2013, Deaton said, “Senator, the voters need a senator today.”
Later, when taking questions from reporters, Deaton said, “We have Americans here that haven’t participated in the American Dream. Can we give them a chance, first? And then, let our generosity extend after that.” He said he is against mass deportation and acknowledged there are “gray areas,” such as undocumented parents of citizen children. However, he said he supports “limited deportation.”
Ukraine
Deaton has spoken out against military assistance to Ukraine, which has been fighting a war against Russia since the latter began an invasion of the country in 2022.
“Of course, I favor democracy,” Deaton said, but added that he does not believe the United States has a plan for how much money it will give to Ukraine. He said the $200 billion that has gone to the country could have been used domestically for programs such as universal preschool and Medicare. Deaton quoted lyrics from the late rapper Tupac Shakur, saying, “They got money for war but can’t feed the poor.”
Warren said the money going to Ukraine was to stop Russia from invading other countries. “He’s coming for Poland. He’s coming for Estonia,” she said. Warren argued that Trump was behind the anti-Ukraine sentiment in Congress because the country would not help him in his political efforts against President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Character
The two lobbed character accusations at one another during the debate. When asked about the ability of voters to trust Deaton is the absence of a voting record, Warren brought up the September 2017 arrest of Deaton for simple assault and battery, and disorderly conduct at a youth football game in Barrington, Rhode Island. Warren described how Deaton had told the arresting officer, “I pay more in taxes than your entire salary” and said the officer was making “a huge mistake” because Deaton knew so many Rhode Island judges.
“You can’t trust someone like John Deaton,” Warren said.
In turn, Deaton called Warren “corrupt” and said that Warren had given Securities Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler advanced copies of her questions and suggested answers before a 2021 hearing.
The candidates are not at odds on every issue, however. Both support abortion rights and East-West Rail, the rail line linking Boston to Pittsfield via Springfield that is currently in development.
While both candidates believe there is a housing crisis, Warren said prices are “out of control” and the federal government should make an investment to help reduce the crunch. Deaton responded, “[Warren] believes government is the solution to everything. The government is the problem most of the time.” He later told reporters that the housing crisis can be handled by incentivizing construction of low-income housing through tax credits and reducing “red tape.”
The candidates are not scheduled to debate again before the Nov. 5 election.
