Poll: In Governor’s Race, AG Healey Sailing Past GOP Opponents

The poll showed voters’ creeping pessimisim about their personal economic situation as well as the overall economy, with more than six in ten voters saying they regarded the economy as being in a recession or depression, compared to an April poll in which just over half offered such a grim perspective.

When asked what the biggest source of stress in their lives is, nearly half of respondents offered dollar issues including “money/finances” (17%), “work/employment” (13%), “inflation/gas prices” (9%), and “economy” (6%).  

“Massachusetts residents are expressing noticeably more stress about the economy and their own personal finances and employment situation, as compared to earlier this year,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. 

A majority (52%) say that recent price increases have caused their households a lot or some financial hardship. And nearly six in ten (57%) are very or somewhat concerned about their personal financial situation or employment. This number is up a full 10 points compared to the 47% who answered this question in April.

Mass. voters mixed on national political picture

President Joe Biden’s approval ratings continue to slide among registered voters, with disapproval ratings (48%) topping approval (41%). This contrasts with a 46%-46% job approval in April. And nearly 69% of poll respondents think that the US is on the wrong track, while 16% said the US is going in the right direction. Voters were happier with the state of their state, however, with 53% saying Massachusetts is going in the right direction.

Most parents say schools should teach children about racism early 

As the start of the school year approaches and how schoolchildren are taught about racism becomes a more prominent issue in some states’ midterm elections, nearly two-thirds of Massachusetts residents say students should begin to learn about racism between K-6 grades, with 44% of those respondents advocating those lessons start in grades K-3. Thirteen percent indicated that teaching about racism should start in grades 7-9. Seven percent of voters said grades 10-12 is the right time for children to learn about racism, while 10% said that students should not learn about racism in school at all.

Methodology

The Suffolk University statewide survey of 600 residents was conducted July 20-23 and is based on live interviews of adults 18 years of age or older. Each area’s quota and demographic information including race, education, and age was determined from 2020 Census data, the 2021 American Community Survey, and affiliated sources. Samples of both standard landline and cell phones were called using a probability-proportionate-to-size method, which means that the phone numbers assigned to each area were proportional to the number of adult residents in each area. All respondents indicated that they were residents of Massachusetts. The 14 Massachusetts counties were grouped into four general regions. The margins of error for the 600 residents and 569 registered voters are +/- 4 percentage points. The margin of error for the 469 likely midterm voters is +/- 4.5 percentage points. All surveys may be subject to other sources of error, including but not limited to, coverage error and measurement error. 

Results are posted on the Suffolk University Political Research Center website. For more information, contact David Paleologos at 781-290-9310, [email protected].