A majority of Massachusetts voters disapprove of Gov. Deval Patrick's job performance and would prefer electing someone else in 2010, according to a Suffolk University poll conducted Nov. 4 through 8.
Fifty-one percent of voters disapprove of the job Patrick is doing in his first term, including majorities of Republicans and independents; 42 percent approve. Just 32 percent of voters think Patrick deserves to be re-elected, wile 55 percent say it is time to elect someone else. The margin of error is 4 percent.
Patrick, however, leads in a three-way race against independent Tim Cahill, the state's current treasurer, and either of two prospective Republican candidates. Against Republican businessman Christy Mihos, Patrick takes 36 percent of the vote while Cahill nabs 26 percent and Mihos comes in at 20 percent. Eighteen percent remain undecided.
If the GOP nominates health insurance executive Charlie Baker, Patrick's vote share grows to 38 percent, Cahill stays at 26 percent and Baker earns 15 percent, with 22 percent of voters undecided.
Mihos narrowly leads Baker in a Republican primary match-up, 33 percent to 30 percent with another 37 percent undecided. Baker, however, has more room to grow -- 54 percent of voters said they have never heard of him and another 27 percent had heard of him but had no opinion.
Mihos is far better defined thanks to an independent run for governor in 2006 and his five-year tenure at the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. All but 22 percent of voters have heard of him, and he has a 30 to 25 percent favorable-unfavorable rating.
Cahill's candidacy is likely to benefit Patrick, given that his biggest chunk of support comes from Republican voters. In a three-way race against Baker, Cahill receives the support of 20 percent of Democrats, 30 percent of Republicans and 29 percent of independents. Against Mihos his share of Democrat and Republican votes rises but he drops among independents.
![[RSS]](http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/templates/images/rss_icon.gif){kind=icon}
![[ARCHIVES]](http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/templates/images/archives_icon.png){kind=icon}
Post A Comment