What a Massachusetts Poll Says About the 2024 Presidential Race

I recently wrote a piece reflecting how little love Massachusetts voters have shown Donald J. Trump in his last two presidential bids.

While some speculate Trump could get a warmer reception in Massachusetts the third time around, a recent poll could indicate business as usual in the Trump-snubbing Commonwealth.

A recent UMass Amherst/WCVB poll suggests Massachusetts is not "Trump country," regardless of how many Trump campaign signs you may see dotting the Commonwealth's main streets and back roads.

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WCVB Digital Media Manager Phil Tenser wrote, "Color yourself surprised. Massachusetts is leaning blue at the top of the ticket in the upcoming election, according to the findings of a new poll."

"Bay State Voters favor Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump by 56 percent to 30 percent," Tenser wrote.

The poll results are based on responses from 700 people surveyed between October 3 and 10. The pollsters say the margin of error is 4.8 percent. Nearly 90 percent of those questioned planned to vote in the November 5, 2024 election.

In 2016, when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton to win the presidency, Clinton collected 60.8 percent of the vote in Massachusetts to Trump's 33.5 percent. Trump fared even worse against Joe Biden in 2020, collecting 32.1 percent to Biden's 65.6 percent.

Trump never had the support of statewide officeholders in Massachusetts, even though his Republican Party held the governor's office in both elections. Currently, every statewide elected official in Massachusetts is a Democrat.

Former Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson, the chair of Trump's Massachusetts campaign, believes the former president has a "real shot" to carry the Bay State in November.

We shall see.