Political Notebook: Healey underwater in new poll

 

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Political Notebook: Healey underwater in new poll   May 15, 2026 By Chris Lisinski

Most Massachusetts voters continue to feel disdain for President Trump, but they’re also not too high on a politician who has positioned herself as one of his primary adversaries: Gov. Maura Healey.

In a MassINC Polling Group survey conducted in March and released this week, 39 percent of voters view Healey favorably compared to 45 percent who view her unfavorably. Among those who are either registered Democrats or independents who lean left, 63 percent gave Healey a favorable review and 16 percent gave an unfavorable review.

The negative overall favorability result is not where an incumbent wants to be heading into a reelection race. By contrast, in September 2016, an MPG poll for WBUR found then-Gov. Charlie Baker with a net favorability rating of +46 points among all voters while running for reelection (granted, that was several months later in the cycle than we are now).

An Emerson College Polling survey conducted this month found 45 percent of voters view Healey favorably and 35 percent unfavorably — better margins for the governor than the MPG poll, but still a tepid showing, with less than a majority viewing her favorably. Add to that recent headlines that some environmental advocates and labor unions are dissatisfied with Healey’s first term, and it hasn’t been a great week for Healey’s campaign.

Don’t overread the tea leaves, though. The usual caveats apply: polls are just snapshots in time, and there’s an entire half-year of campaigning ahead. Former governor Deval Patrick, also a Democrat, looked like he was in trouble in his 2010 reelection race, but came surging back in the fall to defeat Republican challenger Charlie Baker (who, of course, won the corner office four years later).

Most importantly, lots of voters might still think Healey’s a better option than the Republican alternative come November. That could be especially true if she can succeed at centering Trump in the race. The president is underwater in Massachusetts by a nearly two-to-one margin, MPG found, with 61 percent viewing him unfavorably compared to only 31 percent favorably.

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More Context Healey comes out swinging against Trump in election-year address (January 2026)  Healey’s reelection bid confronts volatile energy politics (May 2026)

More from CommonWealth Beacon CLIMATE POLITICS: Gov. Maura Healey’s drift toward the political center as she campaigns for a second term in the middle of an energy affordability crisis has elevated intense debates about whether she has all but thrown in the towel on fighting climate change, leaving a split among environmentalists as the natural gas industry tries to make inroads. Jordan Wolman has more.   OPINION: Massachusetts should join the 43 other states that allow psychologists to provide telehealth services across state lines, writes Diana Westerberg.

What We're Reading INSURANCE: New state regulatory changes prevent health insurers from requiring “prior authorization” for some medically essential treatments and emergency care, which Gov. Maura Healey argued will reduce waits. (WBUR)  BOSTON BUDGET: Some Boston city councilors are thinking about rejecting Mayor Michelle Wu’s budget proposal, which would cut some programs while increasing spending about 2 percent, to signal that they instead want even bigger spending growth. (The Boston Globe – paywall)  NEW BEDFORD BUDGET: Meanwhile, in New Bedford, Mayor Jon Mitchell proposed raising taxes, dozens of layoffs, and closing a fire station amid significant financial pressures. (The New Bedford Light)  IMMIGRATION: Federal immigration authorities threatened action against Massachusetts for refusing to issue confidential, undercover license plates to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting the governor to double down on her criticism of the agency. (GBH News)  WORLD CUP: Good news for World Cup fans... in our nearest host neighbor: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the price of buses from New York City to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where matches will be held, will be slashed from $80 to $20. There’s no appetite for a similar effort to reduce travel prices in Massachusetts. (State House News Service – paywall)

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Published by MassINC

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