Eye on the Senate: Coakley Starts With Edge Special Election Race

September 9, 2009 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Attorney General Martha Coakley starts the special election race to fill the Senate seat of the late Edward M. Kennedy with a significant advantage in voter familiarity, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey conducted Sept. 8.

Coakley, who declared her candidacy Sept. 3, registered support from 38 percent of likely Democratic voters -- a big lead over likely Democratic opponents Stephen F. Lynch and Michael E. Capuano, both congressmen from the Boston area. The survey found that Lynch would start with support from 11 percent of likely Democratic primary voters and Capuano, 7 percent.

The dean of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, 17-term Rep. Ed Markey, who is still mulling a run, had the backing of 10 percent of likely Democratic voters polled.

Rep. John F. Tierney, who is also looking at the campaign, came in at 3 percent.

A quarter of likely Democratic voters are undecided as the countdown begins to the Dec. 8 primary.

Coakley's lead among Democrats can be credited to her far higher name recognition and favorability ratings. Sixty-seven percent rated her very or somewhat favorably, compared to just 17 percent who gave her a somewhat or very unfavorable rating. Seventeen percent were unsure. Markey was the next best known of the Democratic field, with a 42 percent favorable rating and 29 percent with no opinion.

Capuano, Lynch and Tierney all logged favorable ratings under 40 percent. Forty-seven percent of likely Democratic voters had no opinion of Capuano, 36 percent had no opinion of Lynch and 44 percent had no opinion of Tierney.

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