If you haven’t paid close attention to the US Senate race between Ed Markey, the Democratic incumbent, and Kevin O’Connor, the Republican challenger, you might assume O’Connor is coming from the same place as the Massachusetts GOP: staunchly pro-Trump, and steadfastly opposed to all things Democratic. And if you have assumed that, O’Connor’s own messaging could be one reason why.

As it turns out, though, O’Connor’s political identity and philosophy are more nuanced than you might expect. In this episode of the Scrum, O’Connor makes his case to the unenrolled and Democratic voters whose support he’ll need to beat Markey in November — offering, in the process, some unexpected biographical details and assessments of Elizabeth Warren and Donald Trump. After Adam and O’Connor talk, Peter Kadzis weighs in with his assessment of O’Connor’s pitch.