LOWELL SUN: Polls show that Healey’s no lock for second term

By Editorial

This piece originally appeared in the Lowell Sun on June 6, 2025.

Two recently released polls shed light on what the state’s electorate contends should be Gov. Maura Healey’s priorities, and the probability she’ll be around for another four years to see them through.Two recently released polls shed light on what the state’s electorate contends should be Gov. Maura Healey’s priorities, and the probability she’ll be around for another four years to see them through.

The results of a Mass Opportunity Alliance survey indicated that 32% of those polled believe reducing housing costs is the most important issue they want gubernatorial candidates to address. Reducing taxes (21%) and economic development (14%) rounded out the respondents’ main concerns.

While housing is a major focus for younger respondents — 47% of Gen Z, contrasted with only 24% of Baby Boomers — taxes are a priority across the generational divide. Around one fourth of Gen Z (23%), Gen X (24%) and Baby Boomers (22%) all say reducing taxes is a top election issue for the 2026 gubernatorial race.

These results should strike a somewhat responsive chord with the Healey team, since she’s made at least two of those issues key initiatives of her administration.

Her team just announced that some of the state’s surplus properties will be made available to develop affordable housing.

Previously, her $5.2 billion bond bill, along with alignment with the MBTA Communities Act, show Healey’s emphasis on producing vitally needed housing, while last week’s media event demonstrated her commitment to making Massachusetts a more business-friendly state.

Lowering taxes? Well, she did that in small measure by reducing the capital-gains tax and instituting a higher threshold for inheritance-tax liability.

But another new poll would suggest the governor hasn’t done enough on these or any other metric voters care about.

According to a survey released by the University of New Hampshire, less than half of Massachusetts residents approve of Healey’s performance as governor, and far fewer say she “deserves to be re-elected” in 2026.

The poll of 907 Massachusetts residents, conducted through an online survey, found 49% approved of Healey’s job performance, 45% disapproved, and 6% were neutral or unsure.

Her approval rating was three percentage points lower than a UMass Amherst poll from February.

An overwhelming 78% of Democrats think Healey is doing a good job while only 39% of independents — by far the largest group of voters in Massachusetts — and 5% of Republicans gave the governor a positive review, according to the poll.

Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist and former MBTA official running for governor as a Republican, said the survey is “devastating” for Healey because it shows voters have “clearly lost confidence in her.”

“I don’t blame them,” he said in a statement. “She’s driven up spending, driven out jobs, and made life more expensive for everyone except illegal immigrants. I’ve led turnarounds in business and in state government, and I’m the Marine who can take Beacon Hill and fix Healey’s mess.”

A spokesperson for Mike Kennealy, another Republican running for governor who previously served in Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration said the University of New Hampshire survey validated their own internal polling from February that found Healey had a 45% approval rating.

“Maura Healey is vulnerable and Mike Kennealy is the only Republican candidate that can defeat her,” the spokesperson, Logan Trupiano, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Healey did not respond to a Boston Herald inquiry Friday.

Healey announced earlier this year that she plans to seek a second term as governor. But only 37% of Massachusetts residents think she “deserves to be re-elected while 40% say she does not “deserve” a second term, and 23% don’t know or have no opinion, the UNH survey found.

A majority of Democrats, 60%, think voters should send Healey back to Beacon Hill’s corner office, but only 32% of independents and 4% of Republicans agree, according to the poll.

Healey had strong popularity marks in other polls released this year.

A Morning Consult survey from April showed Healey had a 58% approval rating, while a Fiscal Alliance Foundation poll from March found 66% of likely voters either had a “strong” or “somewhat” favorable opinion of the governor.

An internal poll conducted by the Democratic Governors’ Association found Healey had a 59% job approval rating, according to a summary of the survey provided to the Herald.

Massachusetts residents listed familiar topics in the University of New Hampshire survey as the top issues facing the Bay State.

Twenty-one percent of survey respondents agreed with the Mass Opportunity Alliance poll that housing constituted the top issue facing the state. However, they put immigration and cost of living second and third, respectively, according to the poll.

The survey also found that 9% of those surveyed listed “left/leftish politicians” as a major issue, while 7% listed “corrupt/incompetent government” as a top problem.

No doubt, Healey’s handling of the migrant crisis has eroded some measure of her popularity, especially due to the expenditure of funds thrown at handling the huge inflow of immigrants from our southern border.

But as in sports, the only statistic that counts is the final score.

And we’re about a year and a half away from knowing that result.

The results of a Mass Opportunity Alliance survey indicated that 32% of those polled believe reducing housing costs is the most important issue they want gubernatorial candidates to address. Reducing taxes (21%) and economic development (14%) rounded out the respondents’ main concerns.

While housing is a major focus for younger respondents — 47% of Gen Z, contrasted with only 24% of Baby Boomers — taxes are a priority across the generational divide. Around one fourth of Gen Z (23%), Gen X (24%) and Baby Boomers (22%) all say reducing taxes is a top election issue for the 2026 gubernatorial race.

These results should strike a somewhat responsive chord with the Healey team, since she’s made at least two of those issues key initiatives of her administration.

Her team just announced that some of the state’s surplus properties will be made available to develop affordable housing.

Previously, her $5.2 billion bond bill, along with alignment with the MBTA Communities Act, show Healey’s emphasis on producing vitally needed housing, while last week’s media event demonstrated her commitment to making Massachusetts a more business-friendly state.

Lowering taxes? Well, she did that in small measure by reducing the capital-gains tax and instituting a higher threshold for inheritance-tax liability.

But another new poll would suggest the governor hasn’t done enough on these or any other metric voters care about.

According to a survey released by the University of New Hampshire, less than half of Massachusetts residents approve of Healey’s performance as governor, and far fewer say she “deserves to be re-elected” in 2026.

The poll of 907 Massachusetts residents, conducted through an online survey, found 49% approved of Healey’s job performance, 45% disapproved, and 6% were neutral or unsure.

Her approval rating was three percentage points lower than a UMass Amherst poll from February.

An overwhelming 78% of Democrats think Healey is doing a good job while only 39% of independents — by far the largest group of voters in Massachusetts — and 5% of Republicans gave the governor a positive review, according to the poll.

Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist and former MBTA official running for governor as a Republican, said the survey is “devastating” for Healey because it shows voters have “clearly lost confidence in her.”

“I don’t blame them,” he said in a statement. “She’s driven up spending, driven out jobs, and made life more expensive for everyone except illegal immigrants. I’ve led turnarounds in business and in state government, and I’m the Marine who can take Beacon Hill and fix Healey’s mess.”

A spokesperson for Mike Kennealy, another Republican running for governor who previously served in Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration said the University of New Hampshire survey validated their own internal polling from February that found Healey had a 45% approval rating.

“Maura Healey is vulnerable and Mike Kennealy is the only Republican candidate that can defeat her,” the spokesperson, Logan Trupiano, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Healey did not respond to a Boston Herald inquiry Friday.

Healey announced earlier this year that she plans to seek a second term as governor. But only 37% of Massachusetts residents think she “deserves to be re-elected while 40% say she does not “deserve” a second term, and 23% don’t know or have no opinion, the UNH survey found.

A majority of Democrats, 60%, think voters should send Healey back to Beacon Hill’s corner office, but only 32% of independents and 4% of Republicans agree, according to the poll.

Healey had strong popularity marks in other polls released this year.

A Morning Consult survey from April showed Healey had a 58% approval rating, while a Fiscal Alliance Foundation poll from March found 66% of likely voters either had a “strong” or “somewhat” favorable opinion of the governor.

An internal poll conducted by the Democratic Governors’ Association found Healey had a 59% job approval rating, according to a summary of the survey provided to the Herald.

Massachusetts residents listed familiar topics in the University of New Hampshire survey as the top issues facing the Bay State.

Twenty-one percent of survey respondents agreed with the Mass Opportunity Alliance poll that housing constituted the top issue facing the state. However, they put immigration and cost of living second and third, respectively, according to the poll.

The survey also found that 9% of those surveyed listed “left/leftish politicians” as a major issue, while 7% listed “corrupt/incompetent government” as a top problem.

No doubt, Healey’s handling of the migrant crisis has eroded some measure of her popularity, especially due to the expenditure of funds thrown at handling the huge inflow of immigrants from our southern border.

But as in sports, the only statistic that counts is the final score.

And we’re about a year and a half away from knowing that result.