Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, once touted as the most popular governor in America, remains a well-liked figure with voters outside his own party. But he's no Tom Brady.
A majority of Democrats and independents rate Baker's time in the corner office positively, according to a new poll from UMass Lowell's Center for Public Opinion. Among 450 likely Democratic primary voters surveyed, 52 percent said they view Baker favorably compared to 23 percent unfavorably, while 22 percent offered no opinion.
The Republican governor's 29 percent net favorability rating put him in the middle of the pack of figures, most of whom were Democratic politicians, that pollsters asked likely Democratic primary voters to rate. He fared one percentage point better than 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and three percentage points better than his predecessor, former Gov. Deval Patrick.
But other figures still swamped Baker's rating, some of whom have never run for office or are incapable of doing so. The once — and perhaps future — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a net favorability of 42 percent. Regional institution Dunkin' Donuts had a 51 percent net positive rating.
Only four figures in the poll had net favorability ratings in the red: Republican President Donald Trump (-79 percent); Columbia Gas, the utility involved in the 2018 Merrimack Valley explosions (-40 percent); Encore Boston Harbor operator Wynn Casinos (-26 percent); and the MBTA that Baker oversees (-18 percent).
Baker's job approval among likely Democratic primary voters was higher than his overall favorability numbers.
Among Democrats, 71 percent approved and 29 disapproved of the job Baker is doing, while 74 percent of independents approved and 26 percent disapproved.
The poll, which surveyed 450 voters and has a margin of error of 6.1 percent, also found close races in both the Massachusetts presidential and U.S. Senate primaries.
