Gov. Maura Healey was at Four Seas Ice Cream Wednesday. Here’s why.
Governor Maura Healey ate peppermint stick ice cream in the kitchen at Four Seas in Centerville while promoting the Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail.
- The poll found that 42% of Massachusetts residents thinks Markey deserves to be re-elected, while 39% think he doesn’t.
- The poll found that 51% of Massachusetts residents approve of Healey, and 45% disapprove.
- 73% of Bay Staters support the northeast health alliance on vaccines.
Massachusetts residents approve of a health alliance of northeastern states in response to federal limits on vaccine access, according to a new poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
The poll, published Sept. 29, touched on several other subjects, including rent control, how safe Massachusetts residents feel in Boston and federal immigration authorities in Boston. Approval ratings and re-election opinions were also solicited for a handful of politicians, including Sen. Ed. Markey and Gov. Maura Healey.
The poll surveyed 762 Massachusetts residents online from Sept. 17 – 23. The margin of error is +/- 3.6%.
What do MA residents think of Sen. Ed Markey?
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey may be challenged for re-election next year, and less than half of the state’s residents think he should be re-elected, a new poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found.
In recent weeks, reports have said that Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass, is discussing a Senate run. He would be facing Markey, who has represented Massachusetts in Washington in some capacity since 1976.
The poll found that 42% of Massachusetts residents think Markey deserves to be re-elected, while 39% think he doesn’t.
64% of Democrats but only 26% of Independents and 7% of Republicans think he deserves re-election.
Moulton hasn’t announced his candidacy yet, nor has John Deaton, the 2024 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, who is also reportedly considering a run. While 33% of Republican voters want him to run, he is largely unknown in the state overall.
The poll also looked at Gov. Maura Healey’s approval rating, opinions on crime in Boston and other state policies.
What is Gov. Healey’s approval rating?
The poll found that 51% of Massachusetts residents approve of Healey, and 45% disapprove.
The Massachusetts governor race is in 2026, and 51% also believe Healey deserves re-election, up from 37% in May. She has a net favorability of +7.
Two Republicans, Acting General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Brian Shortsleeve and former Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy, have announced their candidacies for governor.
While the poll found that Shortsleeve currently has a lead over Kennealy (31%-22%) neither are well known by Republican primary voters or by voters in the state overall.
Massachusetts residents support vaccine recommendations
In September, health officials from across northeastern states, including Massachusetts, formed a health alliance in response to the Trump administration’s changes to federal vaccine policy that limited vaccine accessibility.
“Massachusetts has the best health care in the world,” said Healey in a press release. “We won’t let Donald Trump and Robert Kennedy get between patients and their doctors. When the federal government fails to protect public health, Massachusetts will step up.”
73% of Bay Staters support this effort, including 97% of Democrats, 69% of Independents and 33% of Republicans, according to the poll. (42% of Republicans opposed.)
Do Massachusetts residents support rent control?
A proposal to bring rent control to Massachusetts may appear on the 2026 ballot.
The proposal would limit the annual rent increase for residential units in Massachusetts to the increase of the Consumer Price Index, or 5%, whichever is lower. It would begin with rates as of Jan. 31, 2026.
The law would apply to all residential rental units except for owner-occupied buildings with less than four units and newly constructed buildings less than 10 years old.
The poll found that 56% of Massachusetts residents support this measure, including 71% of Democrats and 59% of Independents, while 27% oppose, including 60% of Republicans.
Crime, immigration and the National Guard
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has gained notoriety this year for defending Boston’s immigration policies.
“We are the safest major city in the country,” she said at a House hearing in March. “Because our gun laws are the strongest in the nation. Because our officers have built relationships over decades. And because all of our residents trust that they can call 911 in the event of an emergency or to report a crime.”
Her constituents seem to agree: 82% of Massachusetts residents say they generally feel safe in Boston, including majorities of all parties, and 55% support Boston’s ordinance restricting police from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
A majority (59%) also oppose additional federal agents to enforce immigration policies in Boston, although this is split by party: 93% of Democrats oppose extra deployment while 81% of Republicans support it.
