Interview with John Deaton: "Massachusetts is a one-party system"

John Deaton is a lawyer, cryptocurrency expert, and former Marine from Massachusetts who in 2024 ran against Elizabeth Warren. Despite failing to unseat the progressive incumbent, he stood out as a singular candidate in many respects. In addition to garnering 40% of the vote, which was up nearly four points from 2018, she managed to win the endorsement of two lately opposing characters: Elon Musk and Mark Cuban.

Massachusetts has not been a Republican-friendly state for years. Former Governor Charlie Baker was never able to translate his high popularity ratings to other Republicans on the ballot. Indeed, all of his state legislators are Democrats, and the last federal election the GOP won was in 2010, when Scott Brown defeated Martha Coakley.

In an interview with VOZ, Deaton discussed current political events in the Bay State, the GOP candidates' main challenges, and the impact the border crisis of the past four years had.

"Massachusetts is a one-party system"

The Republican lawyer began by analyzing local politics, remarking that it is currently "a one-party system." However, he clarified that there is plenty of independent ground from which to harvest.

"Well, Massachusetts is a very, very interesting state politically. There's a perception that, you know, sometimes people call it one of the bluest states in the country, but it actually has the highest amount of independent voters, registered independents, in the country. There are only 8% registered Republicans, 27% registered Democrats, and 64% are what's called "unenrolled." That's our version of independent voters," he explained.

In turn, the Republican argued that there is a growing weariness among some moderates about the current state of the Democratic Party. As a hint, he named the city of Fall River, which in 2024 voted Republican for the first time in 130 years. In turn, Trump was up nearly four points compared to 2020, while Kamala Harris got eight points less than Joe Biden.

"But because of that they've went so far left that they've offended center-left people. And there's an undercurrent. You know, it's not turning red anytime soon. But there are a lot of disgruntled, unhappy voters. And I think it's because it's been one party rule so long and I think voters are ready for change," Deaton added.

On the GOP's main challenges going forward, he talked about finding a balance between President Trump's agenda and Massachusetts Republicans closer to moderation and Charlie Baker's manners.

"My (Senate) race is an example. I actually got more votes than President Donald Trump, about 130,000 more votes than President Trump. And so it is. I lost some votes because Republicans were unhappy that I wasn't a Trump voter, but there were lots of independents that were happy that I was not a Trump voter. So it's a, it's a very. You have to thread the needle is really what I'm getting at because of that dynamic," he continued.

Illegal immigration as the main problem in Massachusetts

Despite being quite far from the southern border, Deaton asserted that illegal immigration is the main problem facing the state.

"It's the number one issue that you ask about Massachusetts. A lot of people are surprised because Massachusetts is not a border state. Right. However, we have a law here that's called a Right to Shelter law. It's the only one in the country, and it doesn't require residency. If you show up in Massachusetts and you're homeless, Massachusetts pays for hotels and pays for your food and pays for all your living expenses. And so we've spent billions of dollars on undocumented migrants who are here illegally. That's bankrupting the state because of that rule. And so it's the number one issue here," the former Senate candidate explained.

In addition, he took aim at Massachusetts governor and Boston mayor for refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to search for illegal immigrants.

"I think it's a failure of leadership that the governor of Massachusetts, the mayor of Boston, who should be working with the administration to get the bad guys off the streets. (...) Yeah, right. And if you cooperate and do it the right way, then innocent people, like the kid who was here since he was 6 years old, who is in high school and is an honor student, will not be dragged into all this madness," he added.

"Cryptocurrencies are here to stay. We need smart, tailored regulation"

Deaton, a cryptocurrency expert, analyzed the direction of the legislation being discussed in Congress. In his view, the country needs "smart, tailored regulation."

On the Genius Act, he noted that it shouldn't be too controversial, given that "99% of all stablecoins are U.S. dollar-based stablecoins."

"There's more risk in not regulating. For example, FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried would not have happened if we'd have had regulations in place. And so when you don't have anything and you try to ban it in America, people will go to these offshore exchanges where our rules don't apply," he sentenced.

Finally, and as for his political future, he did not rule out running again in 2026.

"I'm sitting back evaluating. A recent poll showed that I could possibly beat Ed Markey in the Senate race if I join it in the 2026 senatorial election. I'm not saying I will, but if there's a path to victory, I don't want to lose again. Right. I knew going against Elizabeth Warren that my chances were slim. If I run again, I want there to be a path to victory. So I'll be active. I love Massachusetts. It's where I achieve the American dream. And I see it falling, you know, to the wayside. And so I'm going to do what I can to try to help it," he concluded.