A new University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB poll of 800 registered Massachusetts voters (conducted Oct. 5–12), shows Democratic Gov. Maura Healey holding a commanding 25-point lead over Republican challenger Mike Minogue in the 2026 gubernatorial race (57% to 32%, with independent Andrea James at 6%).
Healey’s advantage is driven largely by a wide gender gap (66–24 among women versus 47–42 among men), strong support among college-educated voters, and a 58% job-approval rating—her highest since February 2025—while voters trust her over Minogue by 20–30 points on key issues including abortion, education, health care, immigration, and crime.
Minogue faces a major obstacle in that more than 80% of voters view him as similar to President Donald Trump on issues such as abortion, immigration, health care, taxes, and transgender rights, and the words most frequently associated with him include “MAGA,” “Republican,” and “Unknown.”…