BOSTON (WHDH) - The race for Governor of Massachusetts is down to two candidates after Tuesday’s primaries and a new 7NEWS/Emerson College poll shows a clear picture of who is the one to beat, on top of what issues matter most to voters.
State Attorney General Maura Healey will take on former state Rep. Geoff Diehl after both won their respective party’s nominations, when Diehl beat political newcomer Chris Doughty in the Republican race, while Healey won the Democratic nomination after all other competition dropped out.
According to a new 7NEWS/Emerson College poll, voters largely see Healey as their next governor. More than half of likely voters, 52%, said they are ready to vote Healey in November, while 34% said they will opt for Diehl.
“With Healey over that 50% threshold, I think she’s in a pretty strong place right now, we’ll see if Diehl’s able to make up some ground,” said Emerson College Polling Director, Spencer Kimball.
What could help Diehl make up some of that ground might be the economy, which 41% of participants identified as their top issue. Among the voters who picked the economy as their top issue, Diehl leads Healey 49% to 33%.
“If more people see the economy as the top issue, then I could see them breaking over to Diehl, thinking that he’s the candidate to solve that problem,” said Kimball.
However, another 16% those polled said they care most about abortion access, while 12% chose healthcare as their top issue.
When it comes to those voters, Healey is the preferred candidate, with voters who care most about abortion access opting for Healey at a rate of 97% compared to Diehl’s 3%. On top of that, those who care most about healthcare said they choose Healey 71-20.
“Whatever he’s gaining with the economy, he’s getting crushed with the health care and abortion access vote, and that’s where you’re seeing it play out to an 18 point lead,” Kimball added.
Meanwhile, on the road to Tuesday’s primary vote, Diehl told 7NEWS he was excited to receive an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. However, the same poll indicated that might be a problem for the candidate in the general election. Massachusetts voters said they favor Biden over Trump by 20 points if both men run again in 2024.
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