Coakley leads, but electorate unsettled

[ccharles000]

Attorney General Martha Coakley has a solid lead in the four-way Democratic race for the open US Senate seat, but with just 16 days until the primary election, nearly three-quarters of likely voters have yet to decide who they will support, according to a Globe poll.

Coakley gets the support of 43 percent of respondents when asked who they would vote for if the primary were held today. US Representative Michael Capuano has support from 22 percent of the likely voters; Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca from 15 percent, and City Year cofounder Alan Khazei from 6 percent.

The poll indicates Coakley is in a position of formidable strength among the state’s likely Democratic primary voters. Fully 71 percent of the respondents viewed Coakley favorably. She is by far the best-known candidate, with 91 percent name recognition.

She is the candidate the likely voters see as the most qualified, best able to understand the problems of people like them, most desirable to have a beer with, and most likely to win.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/22/coakley_holds_strong_lead_in_senate_primary_race_poll/

[debbierlus]

1. She has the most name recognition

[Arkana]

2. I like Coakley--I'm impressed with what I've seen of her.

Capuano's got all the unions though, so he might turn it into a game.