Gov. Maura Healey Holds 25-Percentage Point Lead Over Republican Challenger Mike Minogue in Latest UMass Amherst/WCVB Poll
October 19, 2026
The new poll of registered voters finds Democrats running strong in statewide races as the party’s voters hold an enthusiasm gap over Republicans; the survey also asked respondents’ thoughts on the slate of ballot questions
Executive Summary
A new statewide University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB Poll Two conducted less than three weeks from Election Day shows incumbent Democratic Governor Maura Healey holding a 25-percentage point lead in her re-election race over Republican challenger Mike Minogue.
The new poll of 800 registered voters, which was conducted Oct. 5-12, shows Healey leading Minogue 57%-32%, with independent candidate Andrea James drawing 6% in a distant third. Healey enjoys overwhelming support among women, with 66% favoring her compared to 24% preferring Minogue; among men, Healey holds a 47-42 advantage. Nearly 6 in 10 voters approve of the job Healey is doing as governor, her highest approval rating since February 2025, and voters trust Healey over Minogue by 20 to 30 points on all of the issues asked—including abortion (+31), education (+29), health care (+26), immigration (+23) and crime (+20). Meanwhile, across issues ranging from abortion to taxes, more than 8 in 10 respondents say Minogue and President Donald Trump share the same views on policies, and most frequently used the word “MAGA” to describe the Republican gubernatorial challenger.
The poll also predicts high turnout for the upcoming election, with 85% of those who plan to vote saying that they are somewhat or very enthusiastic about turning out on Nov. 3, and Democrats in down-ballot statewide races are likely poised for a comfortable Election Day with the incumbents’ leads over their Republican and Libertarian challengers ranging from 24 to 49 points.
Finally, the poll surveyed views on the full slate of ballot questions facing voters, with key findings including 61% saying that they would vote “no” on repealing recreational marijuana sales, and 7 in 10 voters saying they will vote “yes” on keeping the Bay State’s gun control laws intact.
Healey's Strengths
“Gov. Healey leads across the state’s gender, income, racial, and generational groups, with women, middle-aged voters, and voters of color favoring her over Minogue by wide margins,” says Tatishe Nteta, provost professor of political science at UMass Amherst and director of the poll. “She has also maintained strong support among moderates and independents, two key voting blocs that have historically played an important role in Republican gubernatorial victories in the commonwealth. While Minogue still has time to make the race more competitive, Healey’s broad-based support puts her in a strong position to retain the corner office on Beacon Hill.”
“By far most importantly, Healey enjoys overwhelming support among women, with 66% favoring her compared to 24% preferring Minogue; among men, Healey only holds a 47-42 advantage,” explains Jesse Rhodes, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and co-director of the poll. “Healey also enjoys very strong support among commonwealth voters with a college degree or more—among those with a college degree, Healey has a 57-33 edge, and among those with a postgraduate degree, her lead is even larger, 73-24. In a high educational attainment state like Massachusetts, these lopsided figures are a huge advantage. It’s likely that Healey enjoys such strong advantages among these groups because she has done a good job linking Minogue to positions that are very unpopular with these constituencies, such as his opposition to abortion and support for ICE.”
“Defeating an incumbent Democratic governor in a historically blue state was always going to be a tall task for a Republican candidate, but that challenge is compounded by Healey’s continued popularity,” Nteta adds. “Nearly 6 in 10 voters (58%) approve of the job Healey is doing as governor, her highest approval rating since February 2025. Her approval extends across men, women, generations, income levels, and racial groups, with only independents (40%), voters with some college experience (48%), Republicans (12%), conservatives (17%) and Trump voters (16%) expressing approval levels below a majority.”
Minogue’s hurdles
For Minogue to overcome the gap before Nov. 3, the new UMass Amherst/WCVB Poll indicates he will need to prove himself a better alternative to a popular incumbent, and find a way to separate himself in voters’ minds from a deeply unpopular president.
“Mike Minogue faces a basic political problem, in that voters see very little distance between him and Donald Trump,” explains Raymond La Raja, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and co-director of the poll. “Across issues ranging from abortion to taxes, more than 8 in 10 place the two men in the same policy camp and both Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly see the resemblance. Being so attached to an unpopular president is unlikely to work in a state where Trump lost by more than 25 points.”
La Raja says that the words voters used when asked to describe Minogue “say a lot about his campaign.”
“The most prominent words are ‘MAGA,’ ‘Republican,’ and ‘Conservative,’ and close behind are ‘Unknown,’ ‘Unsure,’ and ‘Not,’” La Raja explains. “Less than three weeks before Election Day, many voters either don’t know who Minogue is or know him only through his party and his ties to Trump. A challenger in Massachusetts—especially a Republican in a liberal-leaning state—needs to define himself on his own terms. Right now, voters are defining him by the national Republican brand.”
Methodology
- Field Dates: October 5 –12, 2026
- Sample: 800 Registered Voters
- Margin of Error: 4.2%
For this University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB Poll, YouGov interviewed 852 registered voters in the state of Massachusetts. The respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset. The respondents were matched to a sampling frame of registered voters in Massachusetts on gender, age, race and education. The frame was constructed by stratified sampling from the full 2024 Current Population Survey (CPS) sample, restricted to Massachusetts residents who were registered to vote.
Cases were selected by stratified sampling from this subset, with selection within strata
by weighted sampling with replacement (using the person weights on the public use file). The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores. The matched cases and the frame were combined, and a logistic regression was estimated for inclusion in the frame. The propensity score function included age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The propensity scores were grouped into deciles of the estimated propensity score in the frame and post-stratified according to these deciles.
The weights were then post-stratified on 2024 presidential vote choice as well as gender, age, race and education to produce the final weight. The margin of error of this poll is 4.2%.
Read more about the UMass Poll's methodology
Read more about the contributing members of the UMass Poll team
Toplines
View the toplines from the October 19, 2026 Massachusetts Public Opinion Poll release regarding congressional approval ratings and the midterm elections.
This PDF contains the official toplines from this poll. Toplines are the raw question‑and‑answer results from the poll—showing exactly how people answered each question before any analysis or interpretation is added.
General Election Participation (N=800)
Do you intend to vote in the midterm election to be held on November 3, 2026?
| Response | Percent |
|---|---|
| Yes | 89% |
| No | 4% |
| Not Sure | 7% |
Midterm Enthusiasm
Only asked of respondents who indicated that they will vote in midterm election.
How enthusiastic are you about voting in the 2026 midterm election?
| Response | All Respondents (N=718) | Democratic Respondents (N=406) | Republican Respondents (N=197) | Independent Respondents (N=115) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Enthusiastic | 46% | 54% | 42% | 24% |
| Somewhat Enthusiastic | 39% | 35% | 43% | 46% |
| Not Too Enthusiastic | 13% | 10% | 13% | 26% |
| Not At All Enthusiastic | 2% | 1% | 2% | 4% |
2026 Gubernatorial Election (N=800)
If the 2026 election for governor were held today, which one of the following candidates would you support?
| Candidate | Without Leaners | With Leaners |
|---|---|---|
| Maura Healey (Democrat) | 56% | 57% |
| Michael Minogue (Republican) | 31% | 32% |
| Andrea James (Independent) | 5% | 6% |
| Other (Text Box) | 1% | 2% |
| Don't Know | 7% | 3% |
Gubernatorial Election Motivations (N=717)
Asked only of respondents who indicate they will vote in the 2026 midterm election
From the following list, please rank the top three factors that you will consider when choosing which gubernatorial candidate you will support on Election Day.
| Factor | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| how I feel about President Donald Trump | 18% | 17% | 19% |
| the cost of living in Massachusetts | 42% | 20% | 15% |
| my concern about taxes in Massachusetts | 13% | 32% | 17% |
| the candidate's party | 11% | 10% | 25% |
| my dislike of the Republican Party | 11% | 17% | 13% |
| my dislike of the Democratic Party | 5% | 4% | 11% |
How Similar to Trump (N=800)
When it comes to their views on (Insert from rows), would you say that Republican gubernatorial nominee Michael Minogue and President Donald Trump are . . .
| Issue | Very Similar | Mostly Similar | Mostly Different | Very Different |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| abortion | 36% | 48% | 10% | 6% |
| immigration enforcement | 39% | 47% | 10% | 4% |
| health care | 33% | 52% | 10% | 5% |
| taxes | 34% | 53% | 9% | 4% |
| transgender rights | 40% | 44% | 11% | 5% |
Healey Promises (N=800)
Maura Healey made several promises during her campaign for governor in 2022. From the following list, please indicate if you believe that Governor Maura Healey has kept her promise or broken her promise to . . .
| Promise | Definitely Kept Her Promise | Somewhat Kept Her Promise | Somewhat Broke Her Promise | Definitely Broke Her Promise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut taxes | 10% | 34% | 28% | 28% |
| Reduce the cost of living | 10% | 29% | 28% | 33% |
| Protect abortion rights | 55% | 30% | 8% | 7% |
| Increase the construction of more affordable homes in the state | 17% | 42% | 22% | 19% |
| Encourage more residents to remain living in Massachusetts | 16% | 45% | 18% | 21% |
Issue Comparison (N=800)
Which candidate for governor do you trust more to handle the following:
| Issue | Maura Healey (Democrat) | Michael Minogue (Republican) | Andrea James (Independent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living | 57% | 33% | 11% |
| Health care | 58% | 32% | 10% |
| Taxes | 55% | 35% | 10% |
| Education | 59% | 30% | 10% |
| Crime | 55% | 35% | 10% |
| Housing | 58% | 32% | 10% |
| Abortion | 60% | 29% | 10% |
| Immigration | 57% | 34% | 9% |
Approval (N=800)
Do you approve or disapprove of the way each is doing their job?
| Official | Oct. 2026 | Aug. 2026 | Oct. 2025 | Feb. 2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approve | Disapprove | Not Sure | Approve | Disapprove | Not Sure | Approve | Disapprove | Not Sure | Approve | Disapprove | Not Sure | |
| Governor Maura Healey | 58% | 38% | 4% | 56% | 39% | 5% | 57% | 32% | 11% | 52% | 36% | 12% |
Healey One Word
What one word would you use to describe Governor Maura Healey?
Chart: Healey One Word word cloud (Unit: relative word frequency) – data not extractable from source PDF; CSV pending (see note to requester).
Minogue One Word
What one word would you use to describe Michael Minogue?
Chart: Minogue One Word word cloud (Unit: relative word frequency) – data not extractable from source PDF; CSV pending (see note to requester).
Costs (N=800)
Only asked of respondents who answered 1 to any of the options in Q - Cost.
To the best of your knowledge, in the past few months, would you say the cost of (Insert from Rows) in Massachusetts has increased, decreased, or stayed the same?
| Item | Increased | Stayed the Same | Decreased |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | 83% | 16% | 1% |
| Gas | 87% | 11% | 2% |
| Utilities (Natural Gas, Electricity, Oil, Water, Heat, Etc.) | 84% | 14% | 2% |
| Housing | 75% | 24% | 2% |
Responsible (N=768)
From the following list, who do you believe is most responsible for the rise in the price of goods and services in Massachusetts?
| Entity | Percent |
|---|---|
| President Donald Trump | 55% |
| Former President Joe Biden | 7% |
| Governor Maura Healey | 10% |
| Massachusetts State Legislature | 4% |
| The Democratic Party | 7% |
| The Republican Party | 6% |
| Large Corporations | 12% |
State Divided Government (N=800)
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view? It is better for the Commonwealth to . . .
| Statement | Percent |
|---|---|
| have the same political party in control of the governor's office and state legislature. | 48% |
| have control of the governor's office and state legislature divided between the two parties. | 52% |
2026 Senate Election (N=800)
If the 2026 election for Senate were held today, which one of the following candidates would you support?
| Candidate | Without Leaners | With Leaners |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Markey (Democratic Party) | 54% | 56% |
| John Deaton (Republican Party) | 28% | 29% |
| Shiva Ayyadurai (Independent) | 5% | 6% |
| Joseph Tache (Party for Socialism and Liberation) | 2% | 3% |
| Other (Text Box) | 2% | 2% |
| Don't know | 9% | 4% |
2026 Secretary of State (N=800)
If the 2026 election for Secretary of State were held today, which one of the following candidates would you support?
| Candidate | Percent |
|---|---|
| William Galvin (Democrat) | 59% |
| Anne Brensley (Republican) | 26% |
| Other (Text Box) | 3% |
| Don't Know | 11% |
2026 Attorney General (N=800)
If the 2026 election for Attorney General were held today, which one of the following candidates would you support?
| Candidate | Percent |
|---|---|
| Andrea Campbell (Democrat) | 55% |
| Michael Walsh (Republican) | 31% |
| Other (Text Box) | 3% |
| Don't Know | 11% |
2026 Treasurer Election (N=800)
If the 2026 election for Treasurer were held today, which one of the following candidates would you support?
| Candidate | Percent |
|---|---|
| Deborah Goldberg (Democrat) | 52% |
| Elizabeth Dionne (Republican) | 27% |
| Other (Text Box) | 4% |
| Don't Know | 18% |
2026 Auditor Election (N=800)
If the 2026 election for Auditor were held today which one of the following candidates would you support?
| Candidate | Percent |
|---|---|
| Diana DiZoglio (Democrat) | 60% |
| Al Ozonoff (Libertarian) | 11% |
| Other | 6% |
| Don't Know | 23% |
Ballot Questions 1-4 with Leaners (N=800)
There are nine ballot initiatives that will appear on the 2026 ballot. Thinking ahead to the 2026 general election, please indicate how you would vote on each of the nine ballot questions.
A ballot question that would . . .
| Ballot Question | Would Definitely Vote Yes | Would Probably Vote Yes | Would Probably Vote No | Would Definitely Vote No | Undecided | Do Not Understand Ballot Question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| make most records held by both the Massachusetts State Legislature and the Governor subject to the state's public records laws and available to the public. | 55% | 29% | 4% | 2% | 8% | 3% |
| specify that employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, including attorneys who represent indigent criminal defendants, are permitted to engage in collective bargaining with their employer. | 26% | 27% | 9% | 10% | 14% | 14% |
| replace Democratic and Republican primary elections with a single primary in which all candidates compete regardless of party affiliation and the top two candidates advance to the general election. | 20% | 29% | 14% | 25% | 9% | 3% |
| allow eligible residents to register to vote or update their voter registration address at their polling place on Election Day. | 41% | 26% | 9% | 17% | 6% | 2% |
Ballot Questions 5-7 with Leaners (N=800)
There are nine ballot initiatives that will appear on the 2026 ballot. Thinking ahead to the 2026 general election, please indicate how you would vote on each of the nine ballot questions.
A ballot question that would . . .
| Ballot Question | Would Definitely Vote Yes | Would Probably Vote Yes | Would Probably Vote No | Would Definitely Vote No | Undecided | Do Not Understand Ballot Question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| change the limit on state tax revenues so that annual revenue growth is tied to the average growth of wages and salaries in Massachusetts over the previous three years, with any revenue collected above the limit refunded to taxpayers. | 30% | 28% | 9% | 11% | 13% | 8% |
| establish a Nature for All Fund to support conservation efforts and improvements to public parks using state tax revenues collected from sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf-related activities. | 34% | 36% | 11% | 8% | 8% | 3% |
| allow single-family homes to be built in residentially zoned areas on lots that are at least 5,000 square feet, have access to public sewer and water services, and have at least 50 feet of street frontage. | 30% | 35% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 4% |
Ballot Questions 8-9 with Leaners (N=800)
There are nine ballot initiatives that will appear on the 2026 ballot. Thinking ahead to the 2026 general election, please indicate how you would vote on each of the nine ballot questions.
A ballot question that would . . .
| Ballot Question | Would Definitely Vote Yes | Would Probably Vote Yes | Would Probably Vote No | Would Definitely Vote No | Undecided | Do Not Understand Ballot Question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| repeal the laws that legalize, regulate, and tax the retail sale of recreational marijuana and change the penalties for possession of marijuana. | 16% | 15% | 14% | 47% | 5% | 3% |
| uphold the state firearms law that expanded the definition of assault-style firearms, created a statewide electronic firearms registration system, expanded red flag provisions, prohibited ghost guns, and restricted the carrying of firearms in schools, polling places, and government buildings. | 49% | 21% | 6% | 15% | 7% | 3% |
Ballot Question Support (N=800)
Since 1919, citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have been given the power to submit constitutional amendments and/or laws on the ballot, known as ballot questions, for voter approval or rejection. This process is called the ballot initiative process. Do you support or oppose the use of ballot questions to pass constitutional amendments or make laws?
| Response | Oct. 2026 | Oct. 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly support | 41% | 45% |
| Somewhat support | 33% | 31% |
| Neither support nor oppose | 20% | 20% |
| Somewhat oppose | 5% | 2% |
| Strongly oppose | 2% | 2% |
Ballot Question Views (N=800)
Please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with each statement.
| Statement | Strongly Agree | Somewhat Agree | Neither | Somewhat Disagree | Strongly Disagree | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 2026 | Oct. 2024 | Oct. 2026 | Oct. 2024 | Oct. 2026 | Oct. 2024 | Oct. 2026 | Oct. 2024 | Oct. 2026 | Oct. 2024 | |
| The ballot initiative process in Massachusetts is controlled by special interests. | 11% | 12% | 39% | 29% | 38% | 43% | 10% | 11% | 2% | 5% |
| The ballot initiative process allows voters to address important problems that elected officials often fail to address. | 31% | 33% | 43% | 44% | 20% | 18% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| The wording of ballot questions is too complicated. | 19% | 12% | 45% | 37% | 22% | 28% | 11% | 15% | 4% | 8% |
| Voters in Massachusetts do not have enough information, knowledge, or expertise to make policy through the ballot initiative process. | 9% | 8% | 29% | 20% | 26% | 29% | 24% | 25% | 12% | 18% |
| Out of state groups have too much influence over the ballot initiative process in Massachusetts. | 16% | N/A | 32% | N/A | 38% | N/A | 11% | N/A | 3% | N/A |
| The ballot initiative process is wasteful and takes attention away from more important issues. | 7% | N/A | 12% | N/A | 30% | N/A | 29% | N/A | 22% | N/A |
| The ballot initiative process is an ideal form of democracy. | 20% | N/A | 38% | N/A | 31% | N/A | 8% | N/A | 2% | N/A |
Demographic Breakdown of October 2026 University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB Poll
| Category | All Respondents (N=800) |
|---|---|
| Men | 46% |
| Women | 54% |
| 18-29 | 18% |
| 30-54 | 37% |
| >55 | 45% |
| HS or less | 24% |
| Some Coll. | 14% |
| Coll. Deg. | 34% |
| Postgrad | 27% |
| <$40K | 18% |
| $40K-$100K | 38% |
| >$100K | 45% |
| Self-Identified Democrat | 54% |
| Self-Identified Independent | 19% |
| Self-Identified Republican | 27% |
| Liberal | 39% |
| Moderate | 37% |
| Conservative | 24% |
| White | 81% |
| People of Color | 19% |
| Harris | 63% |
| Trump | 37% |
Crosstabs
View the crosstabs for the October 19, 2026 Massachusetts Public Opinion Poll release regarding congressional approval ratings and the midterm elections.
This PDF contains the official crosstabs from this poll. Crosstabs break the raw question-and-answer results out by different groups of respondents, such as age, gender, or party affiliation, showing how answers vary across the population.
Gubernatorial Election (With Leaners)
| Group | Category | Healey | Minogue | James | Other | Don't Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 47% | 42% | 7% | 0% | 3% |
| Women | 66% | 24% | 5% | 3% | 3% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 52% | 32% | 10% | 3% | 3% |
| 30-54 | 60% | 26% | 7% | 1% | 6% | |
| >55 | 57% | 38% | 3% | 2% | 1% | |
| Education | HS or less | 48% | 38% | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Some Coll. | 45% | 36% | 11% | 2% | 7% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 57% | 33% | 7% | 1% | 2% | |
| Postgrad | 73% | 24% | 2% | 1% | 1% | |
| Income | <$40k | 54% | 28% | 7% | 4% | 8% |
| $40k-$100k | 62% | 29% | 5% | 1% | 3% | |
| >100k | 56% | 36% | 6% | 1% | 1% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 91% | 3% | 5% | 0% | 2% |
| Ind. | 38% | 29% | 15% | 8% | 9% | |
| Rep. | 4% | 93% | 1% | 0% | 2% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 90% | 3% | 6% | 0% | 1% |
| Mod. | 58% | 31% | 5% | 2% | 3% | |
| Cons. | 9% | 84% | 3% | 1% | 3% | |
| Race | White | 54% | 36% | 6% | 2% | 3% |
| POC | 70% | 16% | 5% | 2% | 6% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 90% | 3% | 5% | 1% | 1% |
| Trump | 9% | 89% | 1% | 0% | 1% |
Healey Approval (% Approve)
| Group | Category | Oct. 2026 | Aug. 2026 | Oct. 2025 | Feb. 2025 | Oct. 2024 | May 2024 | Oct. 2023 | Apr. 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 52% | 52% | 54% | 52% | 54% | 54% | 58% | 51% |
| Women | 62% | 59% | 60% | 51% | 61% | 55% | 58% | 62% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 52% | 62% | 58% | 43% | 51% | 40% | 55% | 49% |
| 30-54 | 61% | 54% | 55% | 55% | 59% | 57% | 56% | 60% | |
| >55 | 57% | 55% | 58% | 52% | 60% | 59% | 62% | 57% | |
| Education | HS or less | 53% | 42% | 48% | 37% | 54% | 44% | 49% | 50% |
| Some Coll. | 48% | 56% | 60% | 49% | 59% | 54% | 55% | 59% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 53% | 59% | 56% | 55% | 55% | 54% | 59% | 59% | |
| Postgrad | 72% | 64% | 72% | 71% | 65% | 71% | 73% | 62% | |
| Income | <$40k | 58% | 53% | 49% | 40% | 58% | 55% | 63% | 54% |
| $40k-$100k | 58% | 61% | 59% | 50% | 61% | 48% | 54% | 60% | |
| >100k | 58% | 53% | 63% | 60% | 57% | 59% | 66% | 59% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 86% | 85% | 82% | 71% | 82% | 75% | 80% | 75% |
| Ind. | 40% | 36% | 32% | 40% | 42% | 29% | 36% | 37% | |
| Rep. | 12% | 14% | 21% | 17% | 20% | 26% | 31% | 29% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 86% | 87% | 85% | 74% | 84% | 76% | 82% | 75% |
| Mod. | 56% | 52% | 59% | 48% | 54% | 52% | 54% | 56% | |
| Cons. | 17% | 13% | 18% | 14% | 22% | 22% | 26% | 23% | |
| Race | White | 55% | 53% | 61% | 53% | 57% | 53% | 56% | 58% |
| POC | 67% | 68% | 56% | 51% | 61% | 58% | 64% | 56% | |
| 2020/4 Vote | Biden/Harris | 87% | 84% | 82% | 74% | 86% | 80% | 87% | 79% |
| Trump | 16% | 14% | 24% | 25% | 13% | 21% | 28% | 23% |
Similar to Trump (% Similar)
| Group | Category | Abortion | Immigration Enforcement | Health Care | Taxes | Transgender Rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 85% | 86% | 86% | 88% | 84% |
| Women | 83% | 88% | 84% | 86% | 84% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 73% | 77% | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| 30-54 | 81% | 85% | 84% | 87% | 82% | |
| >55 | 91% | 92% | 90% | 91% | 88% | |
| Education | HS or less | 81% | 85% | 82% | 80% | 80% |
| Some Coll. | 78% | 79% | 79% | 80% | 76% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 86% | 86% | 86% | 90% | 88% | |
| Postgrad | 88% | 93% | 90% | 93% | 87% | |
| Income | <$40k | 80% | 84% | 83% | 79% | 79% |
| $40k-$100k | 84% | 84% | 85% | 86% | 83% | |
| >100k | 86% | 90% | 86% | 91% | 87% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 88% | 86% | 87% | 89% | 87% |
| Ind. | 78% | 83% | 81% | 81% | 72% | |
| Rep. | 81% | 91% | 84% | 87% | 87% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 90% | 88% | 88% | 90% | 89% |
| Mod. | 80% | 87% | 83% | 86% | 80% | |
| Cons. | 83% | 88% | 84% | 87% | 84% | |
| Race | White | 87% | 89% | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| POC | 70% | 76% | 77% | 75% | 72% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 91% | 89% | 89% | 91% | 89% |
| Trump | 84% | 90% | 85% | 88% | 85% |
Healey Promises (% Promise Kept)
| Group | Category | Cut Taxes | Reduce Cost of Living | Protect Abortion Rights | Increase Construction of More Affordable Homes | Encourage More Residents to Remain Living in MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 43% | 37% | 84% | 55% | 58% |
| Women | 46% | 41% | 86% | 62% | 65% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 46% | 39% | 81% | 58% | 62% |
| 30-54 | 49% | 41% | 88% | 61% | 64% | |
| >55 | 40% | 38% | 84% | 56% | 59% | |
| Education | HS or less | 47% | 41% | 78% | 56% | 66% |
| Some Coll. | 40% | 40% | 78% | 49% | 55% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 38% | 35% | 86% | 58% | 56% | |
| Postgrad | 53% | 43% | 94% | 67% | 68% | |
| Income | <$40k | 52% | 47% | 82% | 56% | 66% |
| $40k-$100k | 45% | 41% | 84% | 59% | 66% | |
| >100k | 43% | 36% | 87% | 60% | 57% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 63% | 55% | 95% | 80% | 84% |
| Ind. | 34% | 32% | 78% | 46% | 53% | |
| Rep. | 14% | 14% | 70% | 25% | 23% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 62% | 54% | 97% | 80% | 84% |
| Mod. | 45% | 39% | 87% | 58% | 63% | |
| Cons. | 16% | 17% | 68% | 29% | 24% | |
| Race | White | 40% | 35% | 85% | 54% | 57% |
| POC | 65% | 57% | 87% | 78% | 80% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 63% | 54% | 95% | 79% | 84% |
| Trump | 12% | 13% | 71% | 24% | 21% |
Most Responsible for Increased Costs
| Group | Category | Trump | Biden | Healey | Mass. State Leg. | Democratic Party | Republican Party | Large Corporations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 52% | 9% | 11% | 4% | 10% | 5% | 9% |
| Women | 58% | 5% | 9% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 13% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 48% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 2% | 6% | 22% |
| 30-54 | 53% | 4% | 10% | 3% | 7% | 9% | 13% | |
| >55 | 59% | 8% | 11% | 4% | 8% | 4% | 6% | |
| Education | HS or less | 53% | 6% | 12% | 3% | 12% | 1% | 12% |
| Some Coll. | 51% | 7% | 10% | 4% | 6% | 2% | 19% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 51% | 8% | 11% | 5% | 5% | 9% | 10% | |
| Postgrad | 63% | 4% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 9% | 9% | |
| Income | <$40k | 55% | 6% | 8% | 3% | 9% | 8% | 12% |
| $40k-$100k | 61% | 5% | 8% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 11% | |
| >100k | 49% | 9% | 11% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 13% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 76% | 0% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 9% | 9% |
| Ind. | 54% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 8% | 3% | 18% | |
| Rep. | 14% | 19% | 30% | 7% | 16% | 2% | 12% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 76% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 10% | 10% |
| Mod. | 60% | 5% | 9% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 13% | |
| Cons. | 12% | 22% | 26% | 9% | 20% | 2% | 10% | |
| Race | White | 54% | 7% | 11% | 4% | 7% | 5% | 11% |
| POC | 57% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 9% | 13% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 76% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 10% | 9% |
| Trump | 14% | 20% | 27% | 9% | 16% | 2% | 12% |
Senate Election (With Leaners)
| Group | Category | Markey | Deaton | Ayyadurai | Tache | Other | Don't Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 47% | 39% | 8% | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| Women | 63% | 21% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 6% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 47% | 29% | 8% | 8% | 2% | 5% |
| 30-54 | 60% | 24% | 6% | 2% | 2% | 6% | |
| >55 | 55% | 35% | 4% | 1% | 2% | 3% | |
| Education | HS or less | 46% | 33% | 6% | 2% | 5% | 8% |
| Some Coll. | 43% | 36% | 11% | 3% | 3% | 4% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 57% | 30% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 4% | |
| Postgrad | 70% | 21% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 3% | |
| Income | <$40k | 52% | 26% | 5% | 2% | 8% | 6% |
| $40k-$100k | 58% | 27% | 5% | 4% | 0% | 5% | |
| >100k | 55% | 32% | 7% | 2% | 2% | 2% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 90% | 1% | 4% | 3% | 0% | 2% |
| Ind. | 36% | 20% | 15% | 4% | 10% | 15% | |
| Rep. | 1% | 93% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 2% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 89% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 0% | 2% |
| Mod. | 53% | 27% | 7% | 4% | 2% | 7% | |
| Cons. | 10% | 81% | 3% | 0% | 4% | 2% | |
| Race | White | 52% | 33% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 4% |
| POC | 69% | 16% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 7% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 88% | 1% | 5% | 3% | 1% | 3% |
| Trump | 9% | 84% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 3% |
Secretary of State Election
| Group | Category | Galvin | Brensley | Other | Don't Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 53% | 35% | 3% | 9% |
| Women | 64% | 19% | 4% | 13% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 46% | 34% | 4% | 17% |
| 30-54 | 59% | 22% | 4% | 14% | |
| >55 | 65% | 26% | 3% | 6% | |
| Education | HS or less | 49% | 33% | 6% | 12% |
| Some Coll. | 49% | 32% | 8% | 11% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 61% | 24% | 2% | 13% | |
| Postgrad | 71% | 20% | 2% | 7% | |
| Income | <$40k | 56% | 25% | 6% | 13% |
| $40k-$100k | 63% | 21% | 3% | 13% | |
| >100k | 58% | 32% | 3% | 7% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 89% | 3% | 2% | 7% |
| Ind. | 43% | 21% | 12% | 24% | |
| Rep. | 12% | 77% | 1% | 10% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 86% | 3% | 2% | 9% |
| Mod. | 64% | 20% | 3% | 13% | |
| Cons. | 15% | 74% | 4% | 7% | |
| Race | White | 58% | 29% | 3% | 10% |
| POC | 66% | 13% | 4% | 17% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 86% | 3% | 2% | 9% |
| Trump | 20% | 69% | 2% | 9% |
Attorney General Election
| Group | Category | Campbell | Walsh | Other | Don't Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 47% | 42% | 3% | 8% |
| Women | 62% | 22% | 2% | 14% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 53% | 35% | 0% | 11% |
| 30-54 | 56% | 25% | 5% | 14% | |
| >55 | 54% | 35% | 2% | 9% | |
| Education | HS or less | 43% | 36% | 5% | 15% |
| Some Coll. | 47% | 38% | 6% | 9% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 57% | 31% | 1% | 11% | |
| Postgrad | 67% | 23% | 0% | 10% | |
| Income | <$40k | 52% | 27% | 8% | 14% |
| $40k-$100k | 59% | 26% | 2% | 13% | |
| >100k | 53% | 38% | 1% | 8% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 88% | 4% | 1% | 7% |
| Ind. | 32% | 29% | 10% | 28% | |
| Rep. | 4% | 87% | 0% | 8% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 87% | 4% | 1% | 8% |
| Mod. | 53% | 27% | 3% | 17% | |
| Cons. | 10% | 80% | 5% | 5% | |
| Race | White | 53% | 35% | 2% | 10% |
| POC | 64% | 17% | 4% | 15% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 85% | 4% | 2% | 9% |
| Trump | 9% | 81% | 2% | 8% |
Treasurer Election
| Group | Category | Goldberg | Dionne | Other | Don't Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 47% | 35% | 5% | 12% |
| Women | 55% | 19% | 3% | 22% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 44% | 31% | 5% | 20% |
| 30-54 | 56% | 22% | 6% | 16% | |
| >55 | 51% | 28% | 3% | 18% | |
| Education | HS or less | 40% | 32% | 8% | 20% |
| Some Coll. | 40% | 34% | 8% | 17% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 53% | 25% | 3% | 19% | |
| Postgrad | 66% | 20% | 0% | 13% | |
| Income | <$40k | 50% | 24% | 8% | 19% |
| $40k-$100k | 51% | 24% | 3% | 22% | |
| >100k | 54% | 30% | 3% | 13% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 83% | 4% | 1% | 12% |
| Ind. | 27% | 21% | 14% | 38% | |
| Rep. | 7% | 76% | 3% | 14% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 84% | 5% | 1% | 10% |
| Mod. | 48% | 21% | 5% | 26% | |
| Cons. | 11% | 71% | 4% | 14% | |
| Race | White | 50% | 30% | 4% | 16% |
| POC | 57% | 12% | 6% | 26% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 80% | 3% | 2% | 14% |
| Trump | 11% | 70% | 3% | 16% |
Auditor Election
| Group | Category | DiZoglio | Ozonoff | Other | Don't Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 60% | 15% | 6% | 19% |
| Women | 61% | 7% | 5% | 27% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 66% | 13% | 1% | 20% |
| 30-54 | 60% | 10% | 8% | 23% | |
| >55 | 59% | 11% | 6% | 25% | |
| Education | HS or less | 49% | 14% | 11% | 26% |
| Some Coll. | 58% | 11% | 10% | 21% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 62% | 9% | 4% | 25% | |
| Postgrad | 70% | 10% | 0% | 20% | |
| Income | <$40k | 49% | 14% | 12% | 24% |
| $40k-$100k | 61% | 10% | 4% | 25% | |
| >100k | 64% | 11% | 4% | 21% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 83% | 3% | 1% | 13% |
| Ind. | 34% | 14% | 15% | 38% | |
| Rep. | 33% | 25% | 8% | 33% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 83% | 3% | 1% | 13% |
| Mod. | 58% | 10% | 5% | 27% | |
| Cons. | 31% | 25% | 14% | 30% | |
| Race | White | 60% | 11% | 5% | 24% |
| POC | 64% | 10% | 6% | 20% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 80% | 4% | 2% | 14% |
| Trump | 34% | 23% | 10% | 33% |
Ballot Questions (% Yes)
| Group | Category | Quest 1 | Quest 2 | Quest 3 | Quest 4 | Quest 5 | Quest 6 | Quest 7 | Quest 8 | Quest 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Men | 85% | 56% | 52% | 63% | 64% | 68% | 65% | 35% | 65% |
| Women | 82% | 50% | 46% | 71% | 53% | 72% | 65% | 27% | 74% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 83% | 52% | 54% | 78% | 61% | 71% | 63% | 39% | 62% |
| 30-54 | 80% | 60% | 50% | 72% | 56% | 69% | 68% | 29% | 72% | |
| >55 | 87% | 47% | 45% | 58% | 60% | 70% | 64% | 28% | 71% | |
| Education | HS or less | 81% | 49% | 57% | 63% | 71% | 69% | 68% | 40% | 65% |
| Some Coll. | 81% | 41% | 46% | 65% | 54% | 62% | 60% | 25% | 60% | |
| Coll. Deg. | 85% | 49% | 45% | 65% | 58% | 68% | 59% | 28% | 70% | |
| Postgrad | 86% | 68% | 48% | 73% | 51% | 77% | 73% | 28% | 80% | |
| Income | <$40k | 77% | 47% | 44% | 65% | 57% | 69% | 64% | 23% | 65% |
| $40k-$100k | 84% | 49% | 47% | 68% | 57% | 68% | 66% | 30% | 70% | |
| >100k | 86% | 58% | 53% | 68% | 62% | 72% | 65% | 35% | 72% | |
| Party ID | Dem. | 85% | 66% | 47% | 83% | 52% | 80% | 74% | 25% | 86% |
| Ind. | 73% | 33% | 56% | 53% | 51% | 60% | 56% | 28% | 58% | |
| Rep. | 90% | 41% | 47% | 44% | 77% | 56% | 55% | 44% | 45% | |
| Ideology | Lib | 90% | 72% | 44% | 90% | 52% | 82% | 74% | 17% | 89% |
| Mod. | 79% | 48% | 56% | 61% | 60% | 69% | 68% | 35% | 73% | |
| Cons. | 86% | 35% | 43% | 40% | 69% | 54% | 51% | 46% | 40% | |
| Race | White | 84% | 51% | 49% | 65% | 60% | 69% | 64% | 28% | 69% |
| POC | 83% | 61% | 49% | 75% | 53% | 75% | 68% | 41% | 74% | |
| 2024 Vote | Harris | 85% | 66% | 50% | 82% | 51% | 81% | 72% | 23% | 87% |
| Trump | 88% | 37% | 45% | 41% | 71% | 54% | 52% | 43% | 44% | |
| Marijuana Use | Never Used | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 41% | N/A |
| Previously Used | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 28% | N/A | |
| Currently Use | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 20% | N/A | |
| Gun Owner | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 76% |
| No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 47% |
Demographic Breakdown of October 2026 University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB Poll
| Category | All Respondents (N=800) |
|---|---|
| Men | 46% |
| Women | 54% |
| 18-29 | 18% |
| 30-54 | 37% |
| >55 | 45% |
| HS or less | 24% |
| Some Coll. | 14% |
| Coll. Deg. | 34% |
| Postgrad | 27% |
| <$40K | 18% |
| $40K-$100K | 38% |
| >$100K | 45% |
| Self-Identified Democrat | 54% |
| Self-Identified Independent | 19% |
| Self-Identified Republican | 27% |
| Liberal | 39% |
| Moderate | 37% |
| Conservative | 24% |
| White | 81% |
| People of Color | 19% |
| Harris | 63% |
| Trump | 37% |
Contact for This Poll
Director of UMass Poll
Related News
The new poll also asked when—if ever—America was truly at “its greatest”
The MAGA base that has helped build Republican power in the U.S. for the past decade is showing signs of cracking, while the tenets of democratic socialism may soon become the basis of the Democratic party, the latest national University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll has found. The survey, conducted Aug. 21-26, has found a 9-percentage point drop among Republicans who identify with the MAGA movement since the last survey was conducted in March. The most significant drop—6 percentage points—came among those who reported only “somewhat” identified as MAGA, while those who “very much” identified as MAGA fell 3 percentage points.
The poll found that the Republicans most likely to identify as MAGA were those with educational attainment of a high school degree or less, those making less than $100,000 a year, and those over the age of 55. Among moderate Republicans, there was a nearly even split, with 51% identifying as MAGA and 49% not, and only 13% of moderates said they were “very much” MAGA.
The latest UMass Poll also asked respondents a question that goes to the heart of the MAGA movement: when was the United States “its greatest?” Republicans disproportionately focus on two decades—the 1980s and the 1950s—while pluralities of all respondents, Democrats, independents and African Americans said that America “never was great.”
Finally, in addition to surveying the state of MAGA among Republicans, the new UMass Poll also investigated the views on policies aligned with democratic socialism and the rising DSA movement among Democrats. While identification with the DSA remains unpopular among Americans overall, 54% of Democrats say they identify at least somewhat with the movement, including majorities of key members of the Democratic base such as women, young people, college graduates, liberals and African Americans. A majority also supports important planks of the DSA platform, including government-run health care, increased taxes on wealthy Americans, and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who meet citizenship requirements and break no laws.
The statewide poll also finds President Trump deeply unpopular, as the commonwealth’s officials receive strong support in their attempts to fight back against the president.
Although 58% of all respondents in new Massachusetts poll – including over 25% of Trump voters – approve of Healey’s performance, more than half say she has not handled the housing shortage well.