Warren and Deaton meet for two debates this week

Candidates vying to represent the Bay State in the U.S. Senate will meet for two debates this week before an election that polls show leans heavily in favor of the incumbent Democratic senator.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the commonwealth's top lawmaker, will meet Republican challenger John Deaton on Tuesday in Boston and Thursday in Springfield for debates moderated by local television stations.

Tuesday's debate will be hosted by local CBS affiliate WBZ-TV and the Boston Globe and will be moderated by veteran political reporter Jon Keller along with the Globe's Victoria McGrane. The show will be broadcast live from 8:30 p.m. and will run for one hour.

According to CBS, it can be viewed on cable channel 38 and on every CBS streaming service, including Paramount+, and will be available to watch on the CBS News Boston YouTube page after it airs.

Thursday's debate will be moderated by New England Public Media and GBH News. NEPM reporter Adam Frenier and GBH News reporters Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith will moderate the hour-long meeting, which will be broadcast live starting at 7 p.m

The second debate will be shown on NEPM-TV and broadcast on GBH Radio at 89.7 FM, NEPM Radio at 88.5 FM and Cape and Islands Radio at 90.1 FM.

Warren, a former constitutional law professor, is seeking a third term representing the Bay State. Deaton, a political newcomer, is a retired military prosecutor who moved to the Bay State from Rhode Island earlier this year but is originally from Detroit, Michigan. Deaton announced his intention to run against Warren in February.

According to the latest Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll, Warren leads Deaton 59% to 35% among likely voters, with 6% of respondents still undecided.

“At 60%, Warren’s job approval rating among voters surveyed puts him ahead of all other major candidates,” pollsters wrote.

If Deaton manages to surpass the poll numbers and win a clean sweep, it would certainly be historic. No Republican has succeeded in unseating a sitting Massachusetts senator in the last century.

Originally published: October 14, 2024 at 8:09 p.m