The Trump-endorsed candidate's win in the Massachusetts GOP primary for governor might have sealed the party's fate in November.
that both candidates have likely poisoned themselves among the general electorate as they fought to appeal to the conservative Republican base on their way to the general, even as Doughty has tried to paint himself as the moderate alternative in a state long-defined by socially liberal, but fiscally conservative leaders.
Healey, Marsh said, is also one of the strongest Democratic candidates the state has seen in decades, riding a wave of popularity that originated with her vow to take Trump to court during the 2017 Women's March on the Boston Common. Even before the overturn ofin June, Healey outpolled both Doughty and Diehl by more than 20 points in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup. Entering the fall, she holds a significant polling advantage amid an electrified Democratic electorate.
The Republican race, meanwhile, has all but become a referendum of Trump's hold on the Massachusetts GOP race, with Diehl holding a Labor Day telephone town hall with the former president while Doughty—who voted forin 2016—distancing himself from the former president in an effort to appeal to independent voters.
Doughty performed well with independents and early voters in the primary. But combined with the wedge issues of gay rights and abortion in the state,, regardless of Tuesday night's winner, already stood poised to have a clear advantage in November. Diehl winning, Marsh said, said just makes that easier.
"Massachusetts has always led on those two issues alone, let alone everything else," said Marsh."The formula for Republicans has always been to hold the Republican base but win over unenrolled voters, and neither Diehl nor Doughty are going to be able to do that. It just increases the margin for Maura Healey, frankly."
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