Sen. Edward Markey holds a 19-point lead over U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton within the race for the seat Markey holds, however the polling numbers tighten up with U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley within the race.
College of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB polling outcomes launched Monday present Markey as the selection of 44%, with Moulton at 25% and former instructor Alex Rikleen at 5%. Of these polled, 25% have been uncertain.
With “leaners” included within the outcomes, Markey leads Moulton 51% to twenty-eight%.
Markey, Moulton and Rikleen are already working for Senate. Pressley has not indicated her 2026 plans, however the survey confirmed how she stacks up proper now if she have been within the Senate race.
With Pressley within the contest, Markey’s lead over Moulton shrinks to 7 factors, 31% to 24%, with Pressley at 20%. The ballot’s margin of error for the Democratic main questions is plus or minus 6.1%.
The dominant phrase hooked up to Markey, 79, in a phrase cloud put collectively by pollsters was “old,” adopted by “good,” “experienced” and “liberal.” The biggest phrase in Moulton’s phrase cloud was “unknown,” a mirrored image of the problem inherent in creating a reference to voters who dwell exterior the sixth Congressional District that the Salem Democrat represents.
Different dominant phrases in his cloud have been “unsure” and “good.”
Pollsters additionally examined out a six-candidate open race area with out Markey. In that hypothetical, Moulton led with 26%, adopted by Pressley at 23%, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at 17%, former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III at 9%, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss at 5% and Rikleen at 3%.
The ballot was carried out by YouGov and concerned interviews with 800 adults from Massachusetts, 416 of whom have been possible Democratic main voters. The sampling body was a politically consultant “modeled frame” of Massachusetts adults, the pollsters stated.
The questions on Democratic main and potential main candidates have been requested solely of Democrats and “pure independents” who indicated that they’d take part within the Sept. 1, 2026 main election.
The ballot additionally queried respondents on election reforms which have did not make it by way of the Legislature which has resisted the push to open up registration and voting alternatives within the days main as much as an election.
Sixty-five % stated they assist permitting individuals to register to vote and forged their poll on Election Day, with 17% opposed. Requested about permitting individuals to register to vote and forged their poll through the early voting interval, 71% stated they supported that change and 12% opposed it.
Thirty-seven % supported permitting individuals at the moment serving a jail sentence to vote, with 41% in opposition to. Requested about requiring all voters to indicate government-issued photograph identification to vote, 61% supported that concept with 21% in opposition to it.
Survey takers additionally weighed in on approval of disapproval of the best way that Markey and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren are doing their jobs.
Markey’s approval/disapproval break up was 54-28, in comparison with 54-31 in the identical ballot carried out in October 2024. Warren’s break up was 57-35, in comparison with 53-38 within the ballot a 12 months in the past.
