Ballot: Right here’s the highest problem for Mass. — and the way residents suppose Healey is dealing with it

Politics

Gov. Maura Healey’s approval score stays unchanged and excessive, however Bay Staters have some issues.

A picture of Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts in front of a microphone at a podium.
Gov. Maura Healey’s approval score was at 58%, in line with the newest UMass Amherst/WCVB ballot. However respondents had been fearful in regards to the state of housing and Healey’s dealing with of it. David L Ryan/Boston Globe

Greater than half of voting-age Bay Staters approve of Maura Healey’s efficiency as Massachusetts governor, however some unfixed points within the commonwealth weighed heavy on voters’ minds, in line with the newest UMass Amherst/WCVB ballot.

Launched Monday, the ballot surveyed 700 residents from Oct. 13 to Oct. 20, with 58% approving of Healey’s efficiency. Barely greater than 1 / 4 disapproved of Healey, whereas 15% mentioned they didn’t know in the event that they permitted or disapproved. 

Healey’s approval score was simply 1% decrease in April, the final time UMass Amherst/WCVB performed the ballot. Jesse Rhodes, a political science professor at UMass Amherst, informed Boston.com that Healey’s unchanged approval score is possibly probably the most fascinating knowledge level to come back out of the brand new ballot and due to this fact shouldn’t be understated.

“That’s really a not-insignificant achievement,” Rhodes mentioned. “She’s needed to make extra selections. She’s additionally needed to take care of each long-standing points inside the state, corresponding to transportation and housing, but in addition the emergence of very new however salient points, corresponding to a fairly important improve in migrants, immigrants, and asylum seekers inside the state.”

Not stunning, these had been a few of the prime points that involved respondents and that they thought — regardless of her regular general approval score — Healey had not achieved sufficient to right.

Respondents had been requested to select one problem out of 9 that they consider must be addressed, with 31% selecting housing scarcity and affordability. The subsequent highest was immigration at 12%.

When requested how nicely Healey is doing at addressing the housing problem, solely 6% mentioned very nicely and 22% for considerably nicely. The proportion of respondents who answered “not too nicely” and “not nicely in any respect” had been increased — 27% and 24%, respectively — whereas 22% mentioned they didn’t know. 

In previous polls, Rhodes mentioned housing points have been a prime motive residents have thought-about leaving the state.

A number of the survey was performed earlier than Healey unveiled a $4 billion housing bond invoice that goals to make inexpensive housing extra out there within the state, by way of modified coverage round switch charges and zoning ordinances. The invoice nonetheless should get approval from the state legislature, and it’s anticipated that the invoice received’t earn assist from actual property teams, Axios Boston studies. 

The invoice — and other people’s worries about Massachusetts housing — come at a time when the median price of a single-family house within the state is greater than $600,000, and in Higher Boston is slightly below $800,000. 

The supply of inexpensive housing has vied with one other problem on voters’ minds: the migrant disaster.

Of the 700 respondents who gave their ideas about how nicely Healey was dealing with the surge in migrants coming to Massachusetts, 7% mentioned very nicely, 31% mentioned considerably nicely, 15% mentioned not too nicely, and 26% mentioned not nicely in any respect. A fifth of residents surveyed mentioned they didn’t know. 

Simply final week Healey mentioned throughout a press convention that the state had no extra room for extra migrants searching for shelter and once more referred to as on the Biden administration for help to accommodate the 1000’s of households in want. 

Some respondents had been additionally not too happy with the present state of transportation and the MBTA. However as Politico factors out, lots of the present transit and infrastructure points had been ones Healey was saddled with from the earlier administration. 

On the subject of Healey’s predecessor, the ballot requested the 700 surveyed how they really feel the present Democratic governor has dealt with Massachusetts’s prime points in comparison with former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker. 

Respondents mentioned Baker did a greater job with the economic system and taxes, whereas Healey has achieved a greater job dealing with local weather change and reproductive rights. 

Nonetheless, the ballot additionally captured extra optimistic than destructive responses when it got here to ideas on the economic system beneath Healey. 

Of the 700 respondents requested in regards to the economic system, 10% mentioned Healey is dealing with it very nicely, 38% mentioned considerably nicely, 12% mentioned not too nicely, and 20% mentioned not nicely in any respect. A fifth responded that they didn’t know. 

“The Massachusetts economic system has been pretty sturdy and at or above the expansion charges for the nation as a complete,” Rhodes mentioned. “If you see that taking place, individuals are going to be pretty glad with the economic system within the state.”

Healey additionally earned equally excessive marks when it got here to schooling. 

And when in comparison with different public officers, corresponding to U.S. senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, your complete state legislature, and state Legal professional Normal Andrea Campbell, Healey’s approval score of 58% ranked on the prime.

When taking a look at a breakdown of the Bay Staters polled, 52% had been girls, 41% had been older than 55, the bulk had a school or postgraduate diploma, most voted Democrat — 67% for Biden within the 2020 presidential election — and 78% had been white.