Election Day, Nov 3 9 daysSenate D 78%House D 93%Governors D 86%Forecast updated Oct 25

How healthy is each campaign, and how does each side win? A health score for both campaigns in every Senate, governor and contested House race, and the path to victory for each side.

Governor · Massachusetts

Massachusetts Governor

Maura Healey vs Michael Minogue

ForecastD +27.2
Democrat>99%
Republican<1%
RatingSafe D
Full forecast
Brief me as

Neutral view. Pick a side and the War Room briefs you as that campaign's operative.

Vital signs

Campaign health, 0 to 100, from public money, outside spending, ballots and activity
DemocratMaura HealeyStrained
510100
  • Money weight 2526

    Raised $623K against $1.8M for Michael Minogue.

  • Cash weight 2082

    $6.9M in the bank against $1.5M for Michael Minogue.

RepublicanMichael MinogueStrained
490100
  • Money weight 2574

    Raised $1.8M against $623K for Maura Healey.

  • Cash weight 2018

    $1.5M in the bank against $6.9M for Maura Healey.

How each side wins

From the forecast, the polls, the county map, voter groups, money and ballots
If you work for Maura Healey
  1. Protect the lead

    Maura Healey leads by 27.2 in the forecast and wins 100% of simulations. The cushion is about 777,315 votes; a one point swing is about 14,284 voters changing sides.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +19.6 and D +34.6. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is D +22.0. Your best recent poll is UMass Amherst/WCVB/YouGov at D +24.0; your worst is University of New Hampshire at D +16.3. 4 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Democrats: Middlesex, a projected net 289,793 votes; Suffolk, a projected net 165,097 votes; Norfolk, a projected net 90,083 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  5. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Worcester, D +9.0, 11.8% of the vote; Plymouth, D +6.2, 8.4% of the vote; Bristol, D +6.5, 7.6% of the vote; Hampden, D +6.3, 5.8% of the vote.

  6. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Maura Healey runs furthest behind in Hampden, Plymouth, Essex. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  7. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: White voters, 77% of voters, 57 to 42, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.86 points; Men, 46% of voters, 57 to 41, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.29 points; Voters without a degree, 44% of voters, 60 to 38, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.23 points.

  8. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Maura Healey: Immigration voters 37 to 61, Voters who can afford daily costs 55 to 43, White voters 57 to 42. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  9. The money

    $6.9M cash against $1.5M. Spend it early on persuasion television in the battleground counties and keep a reserve for the last week.

  10. What the ballots so far say

    The early vote has moved this forecast 0.3 points toward Maura Healey. Bank it: chase the remaining mail ballots and low propensity voters who have not voted.

  11. Michael Minogue's strongest asset

    Money: Raised $1.8M against $623K for Maura Healey.

If you work for Michael Minogue
  1. Close the gap

    Michael Minogue trails by 27.2 and wins 0% of simulations. Closing it takes about 388,657 voters switching sides, or 777,315 more net votes from new turnout.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +34.6 and D +19.6. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. The polls

    The polls page average is D +22.0. Your best recent poll is University of New Hampshire at D +16.3; your worst is UMass Amherst/WCVB/YouGov at D +24.0. 4 polls in the last 30 days.

  4. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: Worcester, D +9.0, 11.8% of the vote; Plymouth, D +6.2, 8.4% of the vote; Bristol, D +6.5, 7.6% of the vote; Hampden, D +6.3, 5.8% of the vote.

  5. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Michael Minogue runs furthest behind in Suffolk, Bristol, Middlesex. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  6. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: White voters, 77% of voters, 42 to 57, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.86 points; Men, 46% of voters, 41 to 57, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.29 points; Voters without a degree, 44% of voters, 38 to 60, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.23 points.

  7. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Michael Minogue: Black voters 10 to 89, Asian and other voters 16 to 82, Health care and Social Security voters 19 to 79. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  8. The money

    $1.5M cash against $6.9M. Outspent: lean on earned media, digital, field and the outside groups, and pick the two or three media markets that decide it.

  9. What the ballots so far say

    The early vote has moved this forecast 0.3 points away from Michael Minogue. Election Day has to make it up: the remaining vote must break harder your way than the forecast expects.

  10. Maura Healey's strongest asset

    Cash: $6.9M in the bank against $1.5M for Michael Minogue.

The map for Healey

County projections from the forecast
Vote banksWhere the biggest net margins come from
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
MiddlesexD +42.523.8%+289,793
SuffolkD +63.29.1%+165,097
NorfolkD +28.211.2%+90,083
EssexD +18.911.4%+61,882
BattlegroundsLarge counties within 12 points
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
WorcesterD +9.011.8%+30,490
PlymouthD +6.28.4%+15,008
BristolD +6.57.6%+14,122
HampdenD +6.35.8%+10,512
Behind the 2024 mapRunning furthest behind the last presidential vote
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
HampdenD +6.35.8%+10,512
PlymouthD +6.28.4%+15,008
EssexD +18.911.4%+61,882

The coalition

Healey against Minogue among the groups that can move it, from the forecast's voter group estimates
Swing groups
  • White voters77% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.9
    5742
  • Men46% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.3
    5741
  • Voters without a degree45% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.2
    6038
  • Voters who can afford daily costs38% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 1.9
    5543
Weakest groups
  • Immigration voters9% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.5
    3761
  • Voters who can afford daily costs38% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 1.9
    5543
  • White voters77% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.9
    5742
HealeyMinogue

Scouting report

From the Watchdog people files, each line with its source
Maura Healey

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

Michael Minogue

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

The forecast

Margin over recent runs
R +2.0D +27.221 runs agonow
Now
D +27.2
8 in 10 land between
D +34.6 and D +19.6
Polling average
D +22.0
Partisan lean
D +27.4
Early vote effect
D +0.3

Recent polls

Last 45 days
PollsterDays agoSampleResult
Suffolk University/Boston Globe0500 LVD +20.9
UMass Amherst/WCVB/YouGov3800 RVD +24.0
MassINC Polling Group for CommonWealth Beacon23800 LVD +21.8
University of New Hampshire24564 LVD +16.3

Money and the air war

Latest reports
HealeyMinogue
Raised$623K$1.8M
Spentn/an/a
Cash on hand$6.9M$1.5M
Outside money forn/an/a
Google adsn/an/a
Follow the money

The early vote

Statewide

No early vote data for Massachusetts yet.

Media watch

Who is putting this race in front of an audience

Nothing logged yet for this race.

Media watch

On the trail

Rallies and events, newest first

No stops logged yet for this race.

Races that move with this one

When the polls miss here, they tend to miss there too