WOBURN, Mass. - John Deaton is taking on Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The Republican is a newcomer to politics and just made a return to Massachusetts.

Deaton has been living in Rhode Island but recently moved back to Massachusetts to run for this seat. He attended law school in Boston and lived in Massachusetts for years.

“I have a deep connection to this state. I lived in Roxbury, lived in East Boston and Malden, worked at legal seafood throughout law school,” he said to Spectrum News in his first television interview after announcing his candidacy. 

He announced his candidacy recently and has built his platform around his life experience. He grew up in poverty in Detroit, went to college and eventually law school, where he joined the Marines.   

Deaton describes himself as Fiscally conservative, socially moderate and as someone who has identified with aspects of the Democratic party, Independents and most recently the Republican party. 

“We have to have someone who is loyal to the Massachusetts voters in the country, not loyal to a party or a political agenda or a person. And that’s something that I bring. I’ve never been a partisan person in my life, and I won’t be as a senator,” Deaton said.

Deaton has been a practicing attorney in New England for years, working on asbestos and mesothelioma cases. He said his goal is to help poor people and ensure kids in Massachusetts can climb out of poverty if they work hard. It’s something he said he was afforded but doesn’t believe is possible today. Deaton said this is what separates him from his opponent, incumbent Elizabeth Warren.

“She likes to fight against the wealthy and the rich, and they should pay more and they should pay their fair share. But instead of fighting against them, I fight for the poor and for the middle class. And that’s a fundamentally different approach. And that’s what makes me different than Sen. Warren.”

Spectrum News reached out to Sen. Elizabeth Warren for a response. A spokesperson said:

“Senator Warren is taking nothing for granted. She has a strong record of delivering for working families and continues to fight hard for the people of Massachusetts.”