Raleigh, N.C. – A majority of voters in Massachusetts feel that gay marriage should be legal, and only 12% say that there should be no legal recognition at all of a gay couple’s relationship, a new poll from Public Policy Polling finds. When asked whether they think gay marriage should be legal or illegal, 58% of Massachusettes voters say legal and 31% say illegal. A total of 86% support either gay marriage or civil unions with just 12% supporting no legal recognition of gay couples. Two-thirds of voters – 67% – say that the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts “hasn’t made any impact at all” on their lives, with 19% saying it’s had a positive impact and 14% saying it’s had a negative one.
Martha Coakley looks to be the frontrunner for the 2014 Gubernatorial election in Massachusetts. She has the highest favorability ratings of any prospective candidate, at 49% favorable and 30% unfavorable. Massachusetts Treasurer Steve Grossman is less well-known at just 21/15. Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray sees a net negative favorability rating at 22/31. And former Republican Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker seems to have receded into the background – his ratings are just 19% favorable, 27% unfavorable, and 53% of voters are not sure about him. Coakley does the best of the three Democrats against Baker – she leads him 49-29. Grossman leads Baker by a smaller margin at 37-30, and Murray leads Baker 37-32.
Voters approve of Deval Patrick’s job performance, 48-37. John Kerry also sees a positive job approval rating at 50-38.
PPP polled on two other policy issues – medical marijuana and assisted suicide. Voters say they would support a proposal to legalize marijuana by a 53-35 margin. A plurality of voters also say they would support legalizing assisted suicide, with 43% saying they’d support such a proposal, 37% saying they would oppose it, and 20% not sure.
PPP surveyed 936 Massachusetts voters from March 16th – 18th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.2%. PPP has conducted polls for Democratic clients in Massachusetts in the past, including a single tracking for poll for Martha Coakley’s Attorney General reelection campaign in 2010. However this poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of Governor
Deval Patrick’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 48%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 37%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%
Q2 Do you approve or disapprove of Senator John
Kerry’s job performance?
Approve …………………………………………………. 50%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 12%
Q3 Would you support or oppose a proposal to
legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts?
Support ………………………………………………….. 53%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 35%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%
Q4 Would you support or oppose a proposal to
legalize assisted suicide in Massachusetts?
Support ………………………………………………….. 43%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 37%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 20%
Q5 Do you have a higher opinion of Scott Brown or
John Kerry?
Scott Brown ……………………………………………. 39%
John Kerry ……………………………………………… 46%
Like both equally……………………………………… 9%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 6%
Q6 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Martha Coakley?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 49%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 30%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 21%
Q7 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Steve Grossman?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 21%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 15%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 64%
Q8 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Tim Murray?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 22%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 46%
Q9 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Charlie Baker?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 19%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 27%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 53%
Q10 If the candidates for Governor next time were
Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican
Charlie Baker, who would you vote for?
Martha Coakley……………………………………….. 49%
Charlie Baker ………………………………………….. 29%
Undecided………………………………………………. 22%
Q11 If the candidates for Governor next time were
Democrat Steve Grossman and Republican
Charlie Baker, who would you vote for?
Steve Grossman ……………………………………… 37%
Charlie Baker ………………………………………….. 30%
Undecided………………………………………………. 33%
Q12 If the candidates for Governor next time were
Democrat Tim Murray and Republican Charlie
Baker, who would you vote for?
Tim Murray……………………………………………… 37%
Charlie Baker ………………………………………….. 32%
Undecided………………………………………………. 30%
Q13 Do you think same-sex marriage should be
legal or illegal?
Legal……………………………………………………… 58%
Illegal …………………………………………………….. 31%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%
Q14 Which of the following best describes your
opinion on gay marriage: gay couples should
be allowed to legally marry, or gay couples
should be allowed to form civil unions but not
legally marry, or there should be no legal
recognition of a gay couple’s relationship?
Gay couples should be allowed to legally
marry ……………………………………………………..55%
Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not marry …………………………………31%
There should be no legal recognition of a gay
couple’s relationship …………………………………12%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 2%
Q15 Has the legalization of gay marriage in
Massachusetts had a positive or negative
impact on your life, or has it not had any impact
at all?
Positive ………………………………………………….. 19%
Negative…………………………………………………. 14%
Hasn’t made any impact at all ……………………. 67%
Q16 Who did you vote for President in 2008?
John McCain…………………………………………… 32%
Barack Obama………………………………………… 57%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 11%
Q17 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 11%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 27%
Moderate………………………………………………… 36%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 21%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 5%
Q18 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 49%
Man……………………………………………………….. 51%
Q19 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 41%
Republican……………………………………………… 14%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 45%
Q20 If you are white, press 1. If other, press 2.
White …………………………………………………….. 87%
Other……………………………………………………… 13%
Q21 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 13%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 27%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 40%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 20%
