Massachusetts Politics Shift as Voters Call Themselves Moderate

When you think of Massachusetts and its politics, you may have stereotypical images of a “blue state,” filled with Birkenstock-wearing Karens in wire-rimmed glasses shouting at the sky while waving “No Kings” banners from highway overpasses.

Massachusetts voters don’t see themselves that way at all, however.

How Massachusetts Voters Identify Politically

A recent Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll asked respondents, “How would you describe your own political viewpoint – very liberal, liberal, moderate, conservative, or very conservative?”

And the envelope, please!

The plurality (31.80 percent) chose “moderate,” with 28 percent identifying as liberal, 17.60 percent as conservative, 11.80 percent as very liberal, five percent as very conservative, and 1.40 percent as other. Another 4.40 percent were unsure.

What Party Enrollment Looked Like in 2024

A 2024 breakdown of political party affiliation by the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office showed that of the more than 4.9 million registered voters, 26.97 percent were registered Democrats, 8.38 percent were Republicans, and 63.61 percent belonged to no party.

Around one percent of voters were Libertarian or affiliated with another party.

Poll Results From Suffolk University and the Boston Globe

The more recent Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll showed similar results, with 54 percent “currently registered” as Unenrolled/Independent, 28.80 percent as Democrats, 11.60 percent as Republicans, two percent as “something else,” and 0.2 percent as Libertarians.

Of those who identified as Democrats in the poll, 81.94 percent said it is “very likely” that they will participate in the State Democratic Primary next September, while 13.9 percent said it is “somewhat likely.”

For the Republicans, 81.03 percent of respondents said they are “very likely” to vote in next September’s State Republican Primary, with 10.34 percent saying it is “somewhat likely.”