A new governor will be elected to the executive office at the State House later this year.
Credit: Nicolaus Czarnecki/Metro
The two leading contenders for the Democratic nomination in the governor’s race hold leads over Republican candidate Charlie Baker, according to a new poll.
The poll released Wednesday by Wester New England University’s Polling Institute showed that Democrats Martha Coakley and Steve Grossman lead Baker, who previously ran against Gov. Deval Patrick in 2010.
Coakley, the state’s attorney general, leads Baker 54 percent to 25 percent in a hypothetical matchup. Grossman, the state’s treasurer, leads Baker by a narrower margin – 38 percent to 29 percent.
The poll also measured favorability ratings of the candidates. Coakley had a favorability rating of 51 percent compared to 27 percent who view her unfavorably. Those numbers are unchanged from an October poll.
Grossman is viewed favorably by 21 percent, compared to 14 percent who view him unfavorably. Those number were also unchanged from the earlier poll.
However, Baker’s numbers have showed progress. His favorability rating rose 5 percent to 31 percent since the October poll. He is viewed unfavorably by 13 percent.
The poll surveyed 424 registered voters and was conducted March 31 through April 7. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.
Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.
