Why Massachusetts parties are allowing the slow-moving self-destruction to continue is anyone’s guess.
By The Numbers
Posted inPolitics
Yet again, legislative competition in Massachusetts will be woeful
Even as voters prepare for a historic number of ballot questions with enormous stakes, most will have no options other than the incumbent when it comes to picking their representatives and senators.
Posted inMiddle class
In Mass., the middle class is holding on, but financial anxiety continues to climb
A new poll finds that most residents say their quality of life is good, but many expect to be worse off next year.
Posted inHealth Care
Phoning it in – Mass. residents still lean toward in-person care as telehealth booms
While the rise of telehealth in the early 2020s “did improve access to care,” according to the Health Policy Commission, not everyone is able to use the new virtual hospital landscape. “Specific actions could be taken to further enhance access for more rural and vulnerable populations.”
Posted inState Government
Beacon Hill lobbying still buoyed by health care interests
New data shows that lobbying remained a lucrative industry in the first half of 2025, especially for firms that count health care companies among their clients.
Posted inHealth Care
New poll shows high satisfaction with health insurance in Mass., even as residents delay or skip care for cost reasons
New polling for CommonWealth Beacon conducted by the MassINC Polling Group paints a picture of Massachusetts residents mostly happy with their health care coverage, especially when compared with other states, even while large slices of the population report struggling with cost and access.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Healey holds her head above water in new poll
Asked how they thought Healey is doing as governor, 20 percent of residents said they strongly approve of her performance, 36 percent say they somewhat approve, 15 percent somewhat disapprove, 18 percent strongly disapprove, and 11 percent said they were unsure.
Posted inEducation
70 percent of Mass. infants live in child care deserts, according to state data
Enrollment differences between regions, student age groups, and income levels paint a picture of a system struggling to meet potential demand and that is most available to those at the highest income brackets.
Posted inRace/Racism
Survey highlights concerns among Asian Americans in Mass.
Despite being the fastest-growing population group, APIA voices are often overlooked due to sparse data. A new report aims to change that.
Posted inHousing
Voters support more action to boost housing, new poll finds
Some 57 percent of voters think that the cost of housing is a “a big problem” in their own communities, according to a new poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group for Abundant Housing Massachusetts, and 68 percent think there aren’t enough affordable homes in their own cities or towns.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Kerry Healey was right: We should talk about ‘overhoused’ seniors
As a new state commission recommends policies, programs, and investments to expand the supply of housing for seniors, devising strategies to help older adults move into smaller homes should also be on their agenda.
Posted inBy The Numbers
To understand 2024 results, hindsight is not 2020
This year’s Massachusetts results are much more on par, in terms of turnout and outcome, with every other presidential election so far this century — other than 2020. In that way, they represent more of a reversion to the mean than a shift to the right.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Spending in legislative races topped $11 million
Just over 300 candidates campaigned for the 200 seats in the House and Senate this year, with $11.2 million over the last 10 months flowing out of their campaign accounts, paying for consultants and mailers aimed at voters, newspaper subscriptions, and food and drinks for staff and constituents.
Posted inPolitics
Cracks form in Mass. Democratic strongholds, led by heavily Latino cities and towns
Vice President Kamala Harris, who carried the state and its 11 electoral votes by 61.3 percent to President-elect Donald Trump’s 36.5 percent, not only won Massachusetts by a smaller margin than her Democratic predecessors. She won almost every single town by less, a sign that the Democratic coalition is weakening even in its strongholds.
Posted inOpinion
State residents remain mixed on changing name of Columbus Day
Despite its reputation as a haven of progressive political leaning, Massachusetts has resisted efforts to change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day , and we find that attitudes toward race and racism have a lot to do with that.
Posted inBy The Numbers
State tax revenues lag slightly behind projections
The Department of Revenue said Thursday that it collected $4.518 billion in September — $331 million, or 7.9 percent more, than what was collected during September 2023, but $29 million, or 0.6 percent, below the monthly benchmark.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Poll indicates growing frustration with Legislature
A new poll points to growing public dissatisfaction with the Legislature, with 47 percent of likely Massachusetts voters disapproving of the job lawmakers are doing and only 42 percent approving.
Posted inPolitics
Poll shows a romp for Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a two-term Democrat, holds a wide lead over her Republican challenger, John Deaton, in a new CommonWealth Beacon/WBUR poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Competitiveness and migration reports agree to disagree
“In short, the picture that can be drawn from available official data is inconsistent, though in any case, it is not one of crisis. Nevertheless, migration data often is used – and misused – to push an agenda of tax cuts for very high-income households, the ultrawealthy, and large corporations,” said Kurt Wise, a MassBudget policy analyst.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Sports betting is soaking ‘financially constrained’ households
The study linked sports betting to “a large decrease” in deposits to brokerage accounts, accompanied by “decreased credit availability, increased credit card debt, and a higher incidence rate of overdrawing bank accounts.”
Posted inPolitics
65% of incumbents in Legislature face no opponents
130 incumbents appear to be going without a challenger in either a primary or the general election. Democrats are expected to continue to hold a super-majority in both chambers.
Posted inBy The Numbers
New poll finds rise in voters who see Mass. on wrong track
Forty-eight percent said the state is heading in the right direction, down from 59 percent in a similar poll done for the business group a year ago. Thirty-nine percent say the state is on the wrong track, up from 29 percent.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Wu gets high marks from voters in think tank’s survey
The survey, conducted for the group by national pollster John Della Volpe, asked about Wu’s job performance, among other topics. Fifty-seven percent of registered voters believe she is doing a good job, while 35 percent rate her negatively.
