Election Day, Nov 3 3 daysSenate D 86%House D 97%Governors D 86%Forecast updated Oct 31

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Governor · Massachusetts

Massachusetts Governor

Maura Healey vs Michael Minogue

ForecastD +24.9
Democrat>99%
Republican<1%
RatingSafe D
Full forecast
Brief me as

Neutral view. Pick a side and the War Room briefs you as that campaign's operative.

Vital signs

Campaign health, 0 to 100, from public money, outside spending, ballots and activity
DemocratMaura HealeyStable
580100
  • Money weight 2526

    Raised $623K against $1.8M for Michael Minogue.

  • Cash weight 2082

    $6.9M in the bank against $1.5M for Michael Minogue.

  • National tide weight 1580

    Gallup party identification moved from Republicans 48 Democrats 45 in the third quarter of 2024 to Democrats 50 Republicans 39 in the third quarter of 2026, 14 points toward the Democrats. This race moves 0.99 points for every point the nation moves, so it feels about 13.9 points of that tide, a tailwind for Maura Healey.

RepublicanMichael MinogueStrained
420100
  • Money weight 2574

    Raised $1.8M against $623K for Maura Healey.

  • Cash weight 2018

    $1.5M in the bank against $6.9M for Maura Healey.

  • National tide weight 1520

    Gallup party identification moved from Republicans 48 Democrats 45 in the third quarter of 2024 to Democrats 50 Republicans 39 in the third quarter of 2026, 14 points toward the Democrats. This race moves 0.99 points for every point the nation moves, so it feels about 13.9 points of that tide, a headwind for Michael Minogue.

How each side wins

From the forecast, the polls, the county map, voter groups, money and ballots
If you work for Maura Healey
  1. Protect the lead

    Maura Healey leads by 24.9 in the forecast and wins 100% of simulations. The cushion is about 711,896 votes; a one point swing is about 14,284 voters changing sides.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +17.4 and D +32.3. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is D +23.5. Your best recent poll is UMass Lowell/YouGov at D +27.3; your worst is University of New Hampshire at D +16.3. 5 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Democrats: Middlesex, a projected net 274,240 votes; Suffolk, a projected net 159,828 votes; Norfolk, a projected net 80,780 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  5. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Worcester, D +6.5, 11.8% of the vote; Plymouth, D +3.0, 8.4% of the vote; Bristol, D +4.2, 7.6% of the vote; Hampden, D +4.7, 5.8% of the vote.

  6. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Maura Healey runs furthest behind in Plymouth, Hampden, Worcester. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  7. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: Large counties, 89% of voters, 61 to 36, where a 5 point gain is worth 4.47 points; White voters, 82% of voters, 58 to 39, where a 5 point gain is worth 4.11 points; Voters without a degree, 46% of voters, 58 to 39, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.31 points.

  8. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Maura Healey: Immigration voters 29 to 69, Independents 54 to 41, Incomes $125K and up 56 to 41. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  9. The money

    $6.9M cash against $1.5M. Spend it early on persuasion television in the battleground counties and keep a reserve for the last week.

  10. Michael Minogue's strongest asset

    Money: Raised $1.8M against $623K for Maura Healey.

If you work for Michael Minogue
  1. Close the gap

    Michael Minogue trails by 24.9 and wins 0% of simulations. Closing it takes about 355,948 voters switching sides, or 711,896 more net votes from new turnout.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +32.3 and D +17.4. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is D +23.5. Your best recent poll is University of New Hampshire at D +16.3; your worst is UMass Lowell/YouGov at D +27.3. 5 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Worcester, D +6.5, 11.8% of the vote; Plymouth, D +3.0, 8.4% of the vote; Bristol, D +4.2, 7.6% of the vote; Hampden, D +4.7, 5.8% of the vote.

  5. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Michael Minogue runs furthest behind in Suffolk, Bristol, Berkshire. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  6. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: Large counties, 89% of voters, 36 to 61, where a 5 point gain is worth 4.47 points; White voters, 82% of voters, 39 to 58, where a 5 point gain is worth 4.11 points; Voters without a degree, 46% of voters, 39 to 58, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.31 points.

  7. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Michael Minogue: Black voters 19 to 78, Asian and other voters 23 to 74, Health care and Social Security voters 24 to 73. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  8. The money

    $1.5M cash against $6.9M. Outspent: lean on earned media, digital, field and the outside groups, and pick the two or three media markets that decide it.

  9. Maura Healey's strongest asset

    Cash: $6.9M in the bank against $1.5M for Michael Minogue.

The map for Healey

County projections from the forecast
Vote banksWhere the biggest net margins come from
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
MiddlesexD +40.323.8%+274,240
SuffolkD +61.29.1%+159,828
NorfolkD +25.311.2%+80,780
EssexD +17.211.4%+56,227
BattlegroundsLarge counties within 12 points
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
WorcesterD +6.511.8%+21,842
PlymouthD +3.08.4%+7,271
BristolD +4.27.6%+9,126
HampdenD +4.75.8%+7,811
Behind the 2024 mapRunning furthest behind the last presidential vote
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
PlymouthD +3.08.4%+7,271
HampdenD +4.75.8%+7,811
WorcesterD +6.511.8%+21,842

The coalition

Healey against Minogue among the groups that can move it, from the forecast's voter group estimates
Swing groups
  • Large counties89% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 4.5
    6137
  • White voters82% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 4.1
    5839
  • Voters without a degree46% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.3
    5939
  • Men46% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.3
    5741
Weakest groups
  • Immigration voters8% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.4
    2969
  • Independents19% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 1.0
    5441
  • Incomes $125K and up12% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.6
    5741
HealeyMinogue

Scouting report

From the Watchdog people files, each line with its source
Maura Healey

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

Michael Minogue

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

The forecast

Margin over recent runs
R +2.0D +27.221 runs agonow
Now
D +24.9
8 in 10 land between
D +32.3 and D +17.4
Polling average
D +23.5
Partisan lean
D +27.4
Early vote effect
Even

Recent polls

Last 45 days
PollsterDays agoSampleResult
Suffolk University/Boston Globe0500 LVD +20.9
UMass Lowell/YouGov0850 LVD +27.3
UMass Amherst/WCVB/YouGov3800 RVD +24.0
MassINC Polling Group for CommonWealth Beacon23800 LVD +21.8
University of New Hampshire24564 LVD +16.3

Money and the air war

Latest reports
HealeyMinogue
Raised$623K$1.8M
Spentn/an/a
Cash on hand$6.9M$1.5M
Outside money forn/an/a
Google adsn/an/a
Follow the money

The early vote

Statewide

No early vote data for Massachusetts yet.

Media watch

Who is putting this race in front of an audience

Nothing logged yet for this race.

Media watch

On the trail

Rallies and events, newest first

No stops logged yet for this race.

Races that move with this one

When the polls miss here, they tend to miss there too