Ed Markey leads Seth Moulton 37% to 32% in the latest ed markey seth moulton poll, giving the incumbent a 5-point edge in the Massachusetts Senate primary. Emerson College released the survey on Thursday, and 29% of voters said they were undecided.
Massachusetts Senate primary
The poll shows Markey ahead among registered Democrats by 13 points, while Moulton leads unenrolled voters 38% to 32%. Spencer Kimball, Emerson College Polling executive director, said, "Senator Markey leads the Democratic primary by 13 points among registered Democrats, while Rep. Moulton holds a 38% to 32% edge among unenrolled voters. Markey leads women 37% to 29%, while men are essentially split, with 38% backing Moulton and 37% Markey."
Markey also leads voters under 50 by seven points, 33% to 26%. Voters over 50 are virtually split, with 40% supporting Markey and 38% supporting Moulton.
Favorability for Markey and Moulton
Both candidates had the lowest favorability among five prominent Massachusetts Democrats tested in the survey. Markey was viewed favorably by 37% of voters and unfavorably by 35%, while Moulton was viewed favorably by 31% and unfavorably by 26%.
Forty-three percent of voters were neutral or had never heard of Moulton, compared with 28% for Markey. Kimball said, "Notably, groups that are more favorable toward Markey, including women and young voters, are also more undecided than their counterparts; women are ten points more undecided than men (33% to 23%), and 39% of voters under 50 are undecided compared to 21% of voters over 50."
Healey Warren Wu ballot measures
The same survey also measured Gov. Maura Healey, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Healey and Wu were each viewed favorably by 45% of voters; Healey was viewed unfavorably by 35%, and Wu was viewed unfavorably by 34%. Warren was viewed favorably by 48% of voters and unfavorably by 35%.
On the ballot questions, 62% of voters said they would vote yes on a measure lowering the state income tax from 5% to 4% by 2029, while 19% said they would vote against it and 20% were undecided. Sixty percent said they would vote yes on a ballot measure to cap annual rent increases in Massachusetts.
November UMass Amherst/WCVB
The Emerson numbers follow a November UMass Amherst/WCVB poll that gave Markey a 19-point lead over Moulton. Moulton also lost a caucus in his hometown of Salem, where Markey won six of seven wards.
For now, the race sits at 37% for Markey, 32% for Moulton and 29% undecided, leaving both campaigns with room to move voters who have not settled on a choice.
