When local news coverage dwindles, citizens stop voting, serving on boards and commissions, and running for public office. The current pandemic of misinformation underscores the more immediate consequences of lost access to reliable news sources.
New polling finds voters in largest Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states are open to policy to reduce transportation emissions
Two-thirds of voters across seven states support charging fuel distributors for air pollution and investing the proceeds in better and cleaner transportation
A new set of polls of registered voters across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic finds broad support for a multi-state policy to cap carbon pollution from transportation and invest in transportation improvements. That policy is currently being developed by the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a collaboration between 12 states and the
Kennedy v. Markey is no Pressley v. Capuano
The Topline
On Saturday, Representative Joe Kennedy formally announced his campaign to challenge Senator Ed Markey in the Democratic primary. Rumors of a Kennedy run have been swirling since earlier this summer, and with them comparisons to Ayanna Pressley’s successful primary bid against Mike Capuano. While both Pressley and Kennedy represent a generational shift, the similarities end
The Topline: Wait Wait, Don’t Primary Me
2018 saw the most contested Democratic primaries for the House in decades; will 2020 top it?
It used to be both polite and practical to wait your turn to run for Congress in Massachusetts. Party leaders and insiders frowned on impertinence, and the very occasional primary challenges that happened were rarely successful. That era is ending. We’ve seen two longtime incumbents unseated in the last few cycles, and the 2020 congressional
Steve Koczela testifies before the Joint Committee on Revenue
On Regional Ballot Initiatives for Transportation
On June 18, 2019, The MassINC Polling Group’s President Steve Koczela testified before the Massachusetts State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Revenue about polling and focus groups MPG has conducted on regional ballot initiatives for transportation. Thank you to the chairs and members. I am here to discuss public opinion on S1694/H2653 on regional ballot initiatives
Poll: Massachusetts voters feeling strain from transportation challenges, support policy changes including new funding
Half of those with commutes over 45 minutes say they’ve recently considered changing jobs; 30% have considered leaving their area altogether
Full report and topline (PDF) Crosstabs (PDF) Massachusetts voters, especially those who commute to work, are paying emotional and economic tolls as they negotiate the state’s crowded and strained roads and public transit systems. A new statewide registered voter survey from The MassINC Polling Group finds voters feel urgency toward action, including raising new funds
Seth Moulton and the Shifting Sands of Polls
The Topline
Polling is a snapshot of time; when times change, polls are a time capsule of the way it used to be. Perhaps no one better exemplifies the shifting sands of polls right now than Seth Moulton, who has led the apparently unsuccessful charge to block Nancy Pelosi from returning as Speaker of the House. The
On transgender rights, Massachusetts and Trump administration moving in opposite directions
The Topline
“Transgender could be defined out of existence by Trump administration” read the headline on the New York Times story from Monday, reporting on a leaked memo that showed the Department of Health and Human Services was seeking to define gender on a “biological basis”. On Wednesday, the Justice Department argued to the Supreme Court
Surprise! Mass. Dems don’t want to abolish ICE
The Topline
Follow Twitter trends and cable news discussion, and you’d think the Democratic base was all-in on the idea of abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Indeed, even national polling seemed to show Democrats headed in that direction, with a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll finding Democrats support abolishing ICE (43 percent) over keeping it (34 percent). Trump
Can Ocasio-Cortez return the favor for Ayanna Pressley?
The Topline
Going into the 7th Congressional District debate this week, Boston City Councillor Ayanna Pressley trailed the incumbent Rep. Michael Capuano by 13 points, according to the latest WBUR poll. The debate was less about issues than it was whether voters want experience or a new perspective in Congress. That’s in keeping with the polling: only