Most Massachusetts voters continue to feel disdain for President Trump, but they’re also not too high on a politician who has positioned herself as one of his primary adversaries: Gov. Maura Healey.

In a MassINC Polling Group survey conducted in March and released this week, 39 percent of voters view Healey favorably compared to 45 percent who view her unfavorably. Among those who are either registered Democrats or independents who lean left, 63 percent gave Healey a favorable review and 16 percent gave an unfavorable review.

The negative overall favorability result is not where an incumbent wants to be heading into a reelection race. By contrast, in May 2018, an MPG poll for WBUR found then-Gov. Charlie Baker with a net favorability rating of +58 points among all voters while running for reelection.

An Emerson College Polling survey conducted this month found 45 percent of voters view Healey favorably and 35 percent unfavorably — better margins for the governor than the MPG poll, but still a tepid showing, with less than a majority viewing her favorably. Add to that recent headlines that some environmental advocates and labor unions are dissatisfied with Healey’s first term, and it hasn’t been a great week for Healey’s campaign.

Don’t overread the tea leaves, though. The usual caveats apply: polls are just snapshots in time, and there’s an entire half-year of campaigning ahead. Former governor Deval Patrick, also a Democrat, looked like he was in trouble in his 2010 reelection race, but came surging back in the fall to defeat Republican challenger Charlie Baker (who, of course, won the corner office four years later).

Most importantly, lots of voters might still think Healey’s a better option than the Republican alternative come November. That could be especially true if she can succeed at centering Trump in the race. The president is underwater in Massachusetts by a nearly two-to-one margin, MPG found, with 61 percent viewing him unfavorably compared to only 31 percent favorably.

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Published by MassINC