MALDEN, Mass. — Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton is asking Massachusetts voters to judge him on his positions rather than his party label, as he tries to separate his campaign from President Donald Trump and overcome a steep partisan disadvantage in the state. At a visit to a Malden retirement home, Deaton described himself as open to ideas from either party and said he would support proposals he believes benefit Massachusetts and the country. Several residents responded positively to his pitch, including independent voter Mary Jane Peloso, who said she was considering voting for him after hearing him speak. Deaton, a Marine veteran and attorney who grew up outside Detroit, is challenging Democratic Sen. Ed Markey. Massachusetts has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since Scott Brown’s 2010 victory. Polls cited in the campaign coverage showed Deaton well behind Markey with about a month remaining before the Nov. 3 election. “The challenge for me is to get people to look beyond the label, but it is a big hurdle,” Deaton said. He also ran for Senate in 2024, losing to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Deaton considered running as an independent but said he concluded that was not a viable path. He now presents himself as a Republican who opposes the MAGA movement and supports abortion rights. He has said he has never voted for Trump and would not simply follow the president’s lead if elected. “I really, truly would work with a Democrat. I would truly work with Trump,” Deaton said during the Malden visit. He has criticized Trump over tariffs and the war with Iran, while saying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be reformed rather than abolished. On health care, Deaton criticized Markey’s support for Medicare for All, arguing that the proposal lacks sufficient support among Senate Democrats. Deaton said he would instead pursue changes that break up large insurance companies. Markey has sought to tie Deaton to Trump, saying Massachusetts does not want a MAGA Republican representing the state. Markey’s campaign manager, Cam Charbonnier, said a vote for Deaton would help sustain the Republican Senate majority and Trump’s agenda. The candidates were scheduled to meet in their only planned debate on Tuesday night. Deaton said he hopes to attract Republicans and moderate independents, but acknowledged that winning as a Republican in Massachusetts could prove impossible. In Stoneham, Republican state legislative candidate Stephen Ternullo voiced support for Deaton, saying Markey had been in Washington too long and that the state needed new ideas.