Poll indicates Baker remains wildly popular
A NEW POLL from The MassINC Polling Group out this week finds Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker still riding high with 74 percent approval and just 20 percent disapproval among the state’s voters.
Poll: Mass. K-12 parents describe challenges of education during the pandemic
Parents describe a difficult and tumultuous start to the school year, and anticipate a range of negative impacts on their children.
MPG's Steve Koczela testifies on regional ballot initiatives for transportation
On June 18, 2019, The MassINC Polling Group’s President Steve Koczela testified before the Massachusetts State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Revenue about polling and focus groups MPG has conducted on regional ballot initiatives for transportation.
The Topline: A Year in Review
Polling is an act of political resistance. It agglomerates the messy and inconvenient opinions of everyday people, kneads them into a whole, and forces them through the door into the air-conditioned echo chambers of political elites. This is not newly true, it’s just newly apparent.” That’s from a CommonWealth Magazine piece I wrote early this year, arguing why polling is more important now than ever. A few readers called it a polling manifesto. I’ll take it.
The Topline: As Tsongas bows out, does the GOP have a shot in the Third?
Massachusetts Congresswoman Niki Tsongas announced yesterday she will not run again for the seat she has held since 2007. Past election results show her seat in the Third Congressional District may be less safe for Democrats than it first appears. Though Tsongas cruised to reelection in her own recent matchups, Charlie Baker won the district by 9 points in his 2014 election, one of several Republicans to fare well there recently. With voters in Tsongas’ district showing they are open to voting Republican, her retirement adds another layer of potential intrigue to the 2018 elections here in Massachusetts.
The Topline: The Independence of Independents
The ranks of political independents continue to swell in Massachusetts, while the number of Democrats and Republicans remains roughly steady. Younger voters are choosing to remain “unenrolled” when they register to vote, rather than choosing a political party. The result is an increasing tilt toward the “unenrolled,” as they are called here, who now make up 55 percent of the state’s voter rolls.
The Topline: Left turn ahead? Team Baker looks to reshape coalition for re-election bid.
As Charlie Baker accelerates toward his re-election season, he may have just flipped on his left blinker. If the strategy he shared with donors in a recent meeting is any indication, his campaign may be an even more cross-partisan affair than his governing has been. The Boston Globe reports that in a meeting of his finance committee, “the governor said he must draw nearly a third of Democrats and almost 60 percent of independents.”
The Topline: Massachusetts voters ready for major changes to state criminal justice system
During his 1990 campaign, Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld famously declared he would “reintroduce prisoners to the joys of busting rocks”. That tough-on-crime stance was in keeping with the times. But now, Massachusetts voters are the ones ready to break new ground, calling for major shifts in the state’s criminal justice system.
Contested congressional races focus on competitive terrain
Republicans are taking their shot in the districts where they should be most competitive.
Hedging bets on casinos and the governor's race
How will the casino issue play out, and how might it impact the governor's race.
WBUR Poll: Coakley maintains lead in Democratic primary
Coakley leads Republican Charlie Baker by 9 points, down from previous polls
New for WBUR: Opiate Abuse A Major Issue In Mass.
The poll also found openness to legalizing marijuana.