Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican challenger John Deaton faced off in the final televised debate in the race for Warren’s U.S. Senate seat Thursday night.
The debate grew contentious at times as Warren, who is running for a third term, clashed with Deaton on foreign policy, immigration, abortion and the future of cryptocurrency. The candidates also got into the weeds on policy issues including whether to suspend the senate filibuster and curb the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s regulatory power.
The hour-long debate, cosponsored by New England Public Media and GBH News, provided Deaton an opportunity to establish himself as a serious contender against Warren, who was first elected to the senate in 2012.
A Marine Corps veteran, personal injury lawyer and cryptocurrency enthusiast, Deaton framed himself as a political outsider and attempted to distance himself from a Republican party led by former president Donald Trump.
Deaton described himself as a “moderate, centrist, common sense candidate,” calling Warren an “extremist” and at times directing personal attacks at her.
“I’ve made mistakes in my life and I’ve owned them, but I’ve never claimed to be someone or something I’m not,” he said, alluding to Warren’s controversial claims of Native American heritage. “Senator, can you say the same?”
Warren countered by suggesting that Deaton abused his money and power for his own personal gain, citing his arrest on charges of assault, battery and disorderly conduct after an altercation at a youth football game in May.
“You can’t trust someone like John Deaton with power,” she said.
Warren emphasized her support for military aid to Ukraine, adding at the end of the debate that she looks up to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a political leader.
“The Ukrainians are fighting the front line war for democracy,” said Warren, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Anyone who thinks that we can turn just our backs on Ukraine and that Vladimir Putin won’t take the whole country … is just kidding themselves.”
Deaton didn’t go so far as to say he would unequivocally deny funding to Ukraine, but said his vote “has to be earned” and his support can’t be “taken for granted.”
“The Ukraine war is the single biggest issue in this election period. One mistake and we’re in World War III,” Deaton said. “I can’t tell you what our plan is in Ukraine because I don’t think we have a plan … This is frightening. We spent $200 billion and it’s a stalemate at best.”
Deaton said he generally opposes increases in foreign military aid. “It’s been 30 years since Tupac [Shakur] said it, but I’m going to say it now,” he said. “‘They got money for war but can’t feed the poor.’”
Warren did not directly address the bulk of Deaton’s personal attacks, instead repeatedly pivoting to frame him as a supporter of Trump, who has low favorability ratings in Massachusetts.
“He has said that he likes Donald Trump’s foreign policy better than he likes Joe Biden’s. He has said that he likes Donald Trump’s economic policy better than he likes Joe Biden’s, and now wants to come in front of the people of Massachusetts and just tell a different story,” she said.
Deaton vehemently denied being a supporter of Trump, pointing out that he agrees with the majority of Massachusetts Democrats on several issues where Warren is at odds with her party: Deaton does not support ballot question 2, which would remove MCAS as a high school graduation requirement – a view he shares with Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Governor Maura Healey and a number of other Democratic elected officials.
Warren supports the ballot question to remove the requirement, which she said encourages teachers to “only teach our kids test-taking skills.”
Warren also split from Healey and other Democrats on the issue of immigration, opposing President Joe Biden’s executive order in June to restrict new asylum claims. Deaton strongly emphasized a more conservative Republican approach, suggesting that “we have illegal immigration bankrupting the state.”
One state issue they both agreed on was the importance of the East-West Rail, a project to create regular passenger train service between Boston and western Massachusetts.
“I am all in on East-West Rail,” Warren said. “I think it will fundamentally transform not just the economy in western Mass, but for every part of Massachusetts.”
Deaton largely agreed, calling the rail link “critical” and necessary to help alleviate the higher cost of housing in the Boston area.
