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Warren defeats Deaton to win a third term, AP projects
Sen. Elizabeth Warren secured her third term with a win over Republican John Deaton Tuesday night, according to projections from the Associated Press.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren defeated her Republican opponent, John Deaton, Tuesday evening, according to projections from the Associated Press posted shortly after 8 p.m.
With the win, Warren is set to serve her third six-year term in the US Senate.
“Twelve years ago, you took a chance on a candidate who had never run for public office. You sent me to Washington to fight for working people and for middle-class families. And, time after time, we fought, side-by-side,” Warren said Tuesday night after her victory was secured. “Over those 12 years together, we have delivered big wins – and, more than once, we’ve reminded people that government can be harnessed to work. Not just for the wealthy and well-connected, but that we can actually make government work for people.”
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Deaton said in remarks that he called Warren to congratulate her.
“Sometimes in this election I’ve felt like the candidate nobody wants, but everybody needs,” Deaton said during his concession speech inside Nash Bar in Boston.
Warren, a popular progressive who burnished her reputation as a fierce critic of large corporations and billionaires, went into election night with a comfortable lead. Polling from early September showed her up 26 points over Deaton, a political newcomer who had never before run for elected office. As more voters learned about him, and watched two testy debates between the candidates, Deaton made up some ground; by late October, Warren’s lead was down to 20 points. It was still plenty of breathing room for Warren.
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Despite a failed 2020 presidential campaign that saw her come in a distant third in her home state, Warren maintained her position as an influential member of the party. She secured a coveted speaking spot at the Democratic National Convention this summer, and teared up after receiving a rapturous standing ovation from the crowd in Chicago.
Since taking office in 2013, Warren has helped pass 44 bills into law; 60% of which were bipartisan, according to her office. Some of her signature accomplishments include fighting “junk pharma patents,” guaranteeing cash refunds for canceled flights, and pushing for a corporate tax to help pay for the Inflation Reduction Act, her office said last month.
When asked what lessons she learned from the 2020 primary, Warren stressed the importance of actually “talking about policy.” She pointed to that corporate tax as something that she introduced on the campaign trail and eventually shepherded through congress.
“People told me it was just a pipe dream and that Congress would never do something like that. But I fought for it every day,” she told Boston.com in an interview.
This election cycle, Warren has worked as a major surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris. She repeatedly railed against former President Donald Trump on issues including reproductive rights and corporate greed and warned Americans that Trump has authoritarian impulses.
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“Trump has himself said he wants to be a dictator, and has admired Hitler’s generals for their unquestioning loyalty. When someone like Donald Trump tells us who he is, we should believe him,” she told Boston.com.
Deaton, a personal injury lawyer who made a name for himself as a cryptocurrency advocate, worked to position himself as a moderate Republican in the mold of the popular former Gov. Charlie Baker. As he tells it, Deaton was motivated to run after he saw a poll where Baker had a decent shot at unseating Warren in a hypothetical matchup.
Deaton’s story of overcoming poverty and addiction was a key aspect of his campaign. In his memoir, “Food Stamp Warrior,” Deaton wrote about being raped as a child, driving drunk, selling marijuana, and getting into dozens of physical fights. Deaton promoted the book throughout his campaign.
In 2018, Warren cruised to victory over Trump ally Geoff Diehl. Deaton distanced himself from Trump on a number of issues, including reproductive rights. He announced his support for codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and even said he would switch parties if Republicans nationwide pushed for a national abortion ban.
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“She cares about her career more than that issue. I don’t. I care about my daughter’s rights way more than I care whether I win this race, or if I am a senator, or what my next election may or may not be,” Deaton told Boston.com in a wide-ranging interview.
What Deaton’s political future holds after Tuesday’s defeat remains unclear.
At the end of her remarks, Warren said she was ready to get back to work.
“I’m honored to spend election day with you, but election day is not the end of our work. Today is the start of the next chapter,” she said. “We have a lot that we want to get done, and that work will take all of us. So, tonight we will rest up, but tomorrow we get ready for the next fight. And I’m in this fight all the way.”
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