Nearly three-quarters approve of Massachusetts’ Gov. Baker

Washington, DC, October 21, 2020 –  A new Spectrum News/Ipsos polls conducted in Massachusetts explores gubernatorial approval, sentiments toward COVID-19, voting behavior, and more. 

Detailed Findings

Gov. Charlie Baker is quite popular – but more so among Democrats than members of his own party.

• Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Bay Staters approve of the job Baker is doing as governor.
• His approval rating among Democrats is particularly striking – 81% approve of the job he’s doing, compared to 65% of Republicans and 68% of Independents.
• Baker’s approval rating is strongest on his handling of COVID-19 (73%), but he is above 50% on every issue tested in the survey.

Many feel less favorable toward President Trump because of coronavirus-related issues, as well as his performance in the first debate. However, the fact that Trump contracted COVID-19 is unlikely to have a major impact on the election, in their opinion.

• Nearly two-thirds (63%) feel less favorable toward the president over his public comments around mask-wearing and social distancing, and 55% feel less favorable toward him due to the national recovery plan from the coronavirus. Sixty-two percent also feel less favorable toward him because of his performance in the first presidential debate.
• A plurality (44%) feel less favorable toward the president because he contracted COVID-19. However, most (63%) say this is likely to have a minor impact (34%), or none at all (29%), on the presidential election.

A plurality is willing to take the first generation COVID-19 vaccine when it is available, and there is strong support for mandated mask usage in public places in Massachusetts.

• Nearly half (46%) of Massachusetts residents agree that they will take the first-generation vaccine when it is approved by the FDA, compared to 39% who disagree.
• A majority, 59%, also support a state requirement that all school-aged children receive a flu shot every year. This measure is supported by 55% of parents with a child under 18 at home.
• Seventy-two percent favor a state law mandating that masks be worn in public, at all times. There is broad support for public mask usage in Massachusetts, including among 58% of Republicans, 69% of Independents, and 84% of Democrats.

About the Study   

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between October 7-15, 2020, on behalf of Spectrum News. For this survey, a sample of 1,001 adults age 18+ from Massachusetts was interviewed online in English.

The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the population of Massachusetts using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Posthoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, and education.

Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,001, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-5.0 percentage points).

For more information on this news release, please contact: 

Chris Jackson 
Senior Vice President, US   
Public Affairs   
+1 202 420-2025   
[email protected]     

Mallory Newall 
Director, US   
Public Affairs   
+1 202 420-2014   
[email protected]     

Kate Silverstein 
Media Relations Specialist, US   
Public Affairs   
+1 718 755-8829
[email protected] 

About Ipsos   

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