John Deaton, who ran last year as a Republican against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, is considering challenging U.S. Sen. Ed Markey during the 2026 election.
But 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 said. “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 last year from Rhode Island ran a well-financed campaign against Warren that saw him win the Republican primary in September but lose to Warren in the November general election after pulling in 40% of the 3.5 million votes cast.
A potential Republican campaign from Deaton comes as Democrats are still facing a national reckoning over the age of some of their elected officials after President Joe Biden stepped out of last year’s presidential race following stinging backlash from his own party.
No other Republican has publicly said they are challenging the 78-year-old U.S. senator. U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a Newtonville Democrat, said last month that he is not ruling out primarying Markey after rumors circulated that he was considering a campaign.
A spokesperson for Markey did not immediately respond to a Herald inquiry Wednesday. Markey said last year that he would seek a third term in the U.S. Senate.
Deaton had $48,336 cash on hand as of Dec. 31, 2024, according to federal campaign finance data. Markey had more than $2.2 million in his campaign account as of March 31, the data showed.
Deaton launched his bid to unseat Warren in February 2024 after moving from Rhode Island to Swansea in March. He has previously worked as a cryptocurrency and Mesothelioma attorney and served in the United States Marine Corps.
He rose out of poverty after being raised by a single mother in a northern suburb of Detroit, Michigan, and pitched his life story as one of a person overcoming early challenges in life to later find success in law at both New England Law and in his own business.
His campaign against Warren focused on the economy, an influx of migrants to Massachusetts, corruption in Washington, political division, and politicians he argued have forgotten about the constituents they represent.
But Deaton was unable to beat Warren’s name recognition and Democratic backing even after pouring $1 million of his cash into his campaign.
As far as challenging Markey, Deaton was adamant that he did not want to compete in a Republican primary if President Donald Trump endorsed another candidate or actively opposed his campaign.
“I’m just being honest with you. That would play, obviously, a factor in my decision making,” he said. “I’m not actively looking for an endorsement either, just kind of waiting and seeing how it plays out.”
A survey conducted by Survey USA and paid for by backers of Deaton found he initially trails Markey by 19 points in a 2026 matchup. But after some background information is shared, Deaton leads Markey by 3 points, according to the survey.
Deaton said the poll also found that 60% of those surveyed had an unfavorable opinion of Trump.
“How do you finagle that?” Deaton told the Herald. “That’s the $64 million question, where he is still unpopular by the majority of the electorate here.”
