BOSTON — Three Republican hopefuls are vying for a shot at challenging incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren in the upcoming state primary.
While Republicans have fielded few challengers to members of the state’s all Democratic congressional delegation, three men — Attorney and cryptocurrency advocate John Deaton, Quincy City Council President Ian Cain and Bob Antonellis — are seeking a nod from the party faithful on Sept. 3 to take on Warren in the Nov. 5 general election. Early voting begins Saturday, Aug. 24.
On the campaign trail, Deaton has highlighted his hardscrabble upbringing in Michigan — detailed in his memoir “Food Stamp Warrior” — his military service and career as a lawyer representing mesothelioma victims and taking on federal regulators over crackdowns on the crypto-currency industry.
“I fought for the little guy,” the Swansea resident said in a campaign video. “I took on the greedy corporations and the heartless insurance companies and I won.”
Cain, Quincy’s first Black and first openly gay city councilor, said he believes the state needs an “independent, fresh voice” representing voters. He has stressed his experience in government, local roots and work as an entrepreneur “spurring innovation, creating opportunity and solving complex problems.”
“I’m exhausted with do-nothing politicians who care more about themselves than our community and our state,” he said in a statement on his campaign website. “I’m tired of the stale, old-guard who thinks their power is unquestionable.”
Antonellis, who describes himself as the “only real Republican” in the Senate race, pledges in a statement on his campaign website “to win the culture war, to end all the assaults on our common decency, and create a healthy sense of normalcy, so Americans can finally get back to living their lives in peace.”
“America is being attacked by the Radical Left who are stripping away the things we love, and endlessly forcing upon us to swallow the things we instinctively hate,” he said.
Deaton has outpaced his two competitors in the money race, with more than $1.6 million raised by his campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings. That includes a $1 million personal loan to his own campaign. He had $974,769 cash on hand as of June 30, according to filings.
By comparison, Cain had $22,000 in his campaign coffers as of June 30, after raising $390,000 and spending most of it. Antonellis has raised $46,449 and spent $38,808, leaving him with about $11,200 available as of June 30, according to FEC filings.
All three Republicans have strongly criticized Warren — a frequent GOP target — over her stance on immigration, support for wealth taxes and stepped up federal scrutiny of large corporations.
They face an uphill battle defeating Warren, 73, who was first elected to the Senate in 2012 after defeating Republican Scott Brown in a nationally watched race.
Warren announced her reelection campaign nearly a year ago in a video posted online that included segments with supporters and other Massachusetts Democrats praising the firebrand lawmaker’s record in Washington. Polls have shown her with a significant advantage over the three GOP challengers.
In 2018, Warren easily deflected a challenge to the Senate seat from Republican Geoff Diehl, winning a second term in a race that was considered a warm up for the Democratic nomination to challenge then-President Donald Trump in the 2020 elections. Independent candidate Shiva Ayyadurai placed third.
During the Trump administration, Warren was a prominent face of the so-called “resistance” by taking on Trump’s pledges to deport immigrants, roll back clean energy laws and environmental regulations, and repeal the health care law passed under President Barack Obama.
She ran for the party’s presidential nomination to challenge Trump in the 2020 election, but dropped out of the race after losing several early primary states, including Massachusetts, where she placed third in the Super Tuesday contest.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com