UMass Poll Finds DiZoglio Behind Dempsey for State Auditor, but 37% of Voters Remain Undecided

State Sen. Diana DiZoglio outside the office of the Massachusetts Secretary of State. (Courtesy photograph.)

Going in to next Tuesday’s primary elections, the UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion reported Thursday its polling shows Sen. Diana DiZoglio trailing her competitor in the Democratic primary for the state auditor’s job.

The poll may not be indicative of the outcome between DiZoglio and Former Assistant Secretary of Transportation Chris Dempsey because numbers also show 37% of likely Democratic voters were undecided. A March UMass poll found the candidates were roughly even.

At this time, said John Cluverius, director of survey research for the Center for Public Opinion, “The turnout picture is as hazy as apple cider.”

More than one in five queried likely voters answered undecided in each of the four contested statewide races. In the race for lieutenant governor, for example, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll leads with 33%, state Sen. Eric Lesser trails at 23% and state Rep. Tami Gouveia is in third at 13% while 30% of voters reported being undecided and 2% ticked the “another candidate” box.

The race between former Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell for attorney general is close with 32% for Driscoll and 30% for attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan. U.S. Dept. of Commerce attorney Quentin Palfrey has withdrawn from the race, but his name will still appear on ballots.

Incumbent Secretary of State William F. Galvin leads with 56% while Tanisha Sullivan has 21%, but 22% of respondents stated they were undecided on the match. One percent of voters chose “another candidate.”

If Maura Healey wins the governor’s race and current poll leaders Driscoll and Campbell win the lieutenant governor and attorney general positions, respectively, in addition to unopposed treasurer Deb Goldberg, four of the Commonwealth’s constitutional offices would be simultaneously held by elected women—a first for the Bay State.

“Since 2018, women have done better overall in open-seat Democratic primaries,” said Cluverius. “The possibility of an all-woman ticket shouldn’t be discounted and represents the next success in the long-term Democratic party project to recruit and uplift women.”

Although he is not on the ballot, the poll shows Republican Gov. Charlie Baker enjoys an 82% approval rating among Democrats. In previous polling, the Center for Public Opinion found Baker was more popular among Massachusetts Democrats than Massachusetts Republicans.

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