UMass Amherst/WCVB poll reaffirms Healey’s dominant lead over Diehl in Massachusetts governor’s race – WCVB Boston

October 28, 2022 Kim Martel

With early voting and mail-in voting already underway across Massachusetts, a new poll reaffirms that the Governor’s office is likely to be handed over to a Democrat for the first time since 2015.A new UMass Amherst/WCVB poll found that 61% of those polled said they would definitely support Attorney General Maura Healey or were leaning in her direction. Republican Geoff Diehl has the support of 33% of those polled. The poll was conducted after the final debate between Diehl and Healey and is based on a survey of 700 registered Massachusetts voters who responded between Oct. 20-26. The margin of error is 4.3%.Between 58% and 62% of those polled said Healey more closely resembled outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, in ideology, policy priorities and leadership style.Download poll toplinesDownload poll crosstabs Last week, a nationwide UMass Amherst/WCVB poll found the economy, the health of our democracy and abortion were the top three issues voters would consider when voting for candidates. The poll also found that 76% of respondents nationwide said they intended to vote in the upcoming general election. The Massachusetts poll found that 96% of respondents said they intended to vote. Actual turnout in the 2018 midterm election was 60.17%, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office. Both the nationwide poll and the Massachusetts poll found that the economy is the most important issue to voters when considering which candidates they’ll support in the election. The state poll found that 59% of respondents trust Healey to handle the economy, over 38% who said they trust Diehl. In fact, a majority said they trusted Healey to handle each of the nine issues voters were asked to consider by the pollsters. During the first 100 days of the next governor’s administration, 26% of the Massachusetts voters who were polled want the state’s new leader to focus on inflation and 16% want them to focus on the housing shortage and housing affordability. Healey was elected Massachusetts attorney general as a first-time candidate in November 2014, becoming the first openly gay AG in the country. In that office, she led lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and frequently led or participated in legal action against the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.If she wins November’s general election, Healey would become the first woman and first openly gay candidate to be elected governor in Massachusetts.Diehl served the Seventh Plymouth District on Beacon Hill from January 2011 to January 2019. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018 but lost in the general election to Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren.He also served as Donald Trump’s Massachusetts campaign co-chair during the 2016 presidential election. Both he and his wife, Kathy Jo, serve as State Committee members for the Massachusetts Republican Party.

NEEDHAM, Mass. —

With early voting and mail-in voting already underway across Massachusetts, a new poll reaffirms that the Governor’s office is likely to be handed over to a Democrat for the first time since 2015.

A new UMass Amherst/WCVB poll found that 61% of those polled said they would definitely support Attorney General Maura Healey or were leaning in her direction. Republican Geoff Diehl has the support of 33% of those polled.

The poll was conducted after the final debate between Diehl and Healey and is based on a survey of 700 registered Massachusetts voters who responded between Oct. 20-26.

The margin of error is 4.3%.

Between 58% and 62% of those polled said Healey more closely resembled outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, in ideology, policy priorities and leadership style.

Last week, a nationwide UMass Amherst/WCVB poll found the economy, the health of our democracy and abortion were the top three issues voters would consider when voting for candidates. The poll also found that 76% of respondents nationwide said they intended to vote in the upcoming general election.

The Massachusetts poll found that 96% of respondents said they intended to vote.

Actual turnout in the 2018 midterm election was 60.17%, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Both the nationwide poll and the Massachusetts poll found that the economy is the most important issue to voters when considering which candidates they’ll support in the election. The state poll found that 59% of respondents trust Healey to handle the economy, over 38% who said they trust Diehl.

In fact, a majority said they trusted Healey to handle each of the nine issues voters were asked to consider by the pollsters.

During the first 100 days of the next governor’s administration, 26% of the Massachusetts voters who were polled want the state’s new leader to focus on inflation and 16% want them to focus on the housing shortage and housing affordability.

Healey was elected Massachusetts attorney general as a first-time candidate in November 2014, becoming the first openly gay AG in the country. In that office, she led lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and frequently led or participated in legal action against the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.

If she wins November’s general election, Healey would become the first woman and first openly gay candidate to be elected governor in Massachusetts.

Diehl served the Seventh Plymouth District on Beacon Hill from January 2011 to January 2019. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018 but lost in the general election to Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren.

He also served as Donald Trump’s Massachusetts campaign co-chair during the 2016 presidential election. Both he and his wife, Kathy Jo, serve as State Committee members for the Massachusetts Republican Party.