BOSTON — Incumbent Sen. Ed Markey is holding a double-digit lead over challenger Rep. Seth Moulton in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate, according to a new poll.
The University of New Hampshire survey released Thursday found that 46% of likely Democratic voters said they would support Markey if the primary were held today, compared with 33% for Moulton.
About 6% said they would vote for Alex Rikleen, while less than 1% said they would vote for William Francis Gates. Roughly 15% were still undecided, according to the poll.
Pollsters said the percentage of undecided voters has declined since a similar poll on the race in February, with the latest survey showing Markey and Moulton moving them into their columns. But even with the new pickups, there is a “similar” gap between the two candidates in the primary race, pollsters said.
Still, the poll found that in a hypothetical general election match up with Republican challenger John Deaton, Moulton would do slightly better than Markey. The poll found Moulton leading Deaton by 56%-25%, compared with Markey’s 55% to Deaton’s 25% in a general election matchup.
The UNH survey is the latest to show Markey maintaining a double digit lead over his younger challenger ahead of Sept. 1 Democratic primary.
“This poll, along with other recent surveys, reflects what we’re hearing across the Commonwealth — voters trust Ed Markey to stand up to Donald Trump and deliver for Massachusetts,” Markey for Senate campaign manager Cam Charbonnier said in a prepared statement.
“While the numbers are encouraging, Ed’s focus remains the same: doing the work to earn every vote between now and Election Day,” he added.
But Moulton’s campaign claimed the UNH data — coupled with a Suffolk University poll released last week — shows a tightening race with Moulton cutting Markey’s lead nearly in half over the last several months — from a 23-point gap in a previous poll to 13 points in the latest survey.
“The polling data is clear — Moulton is closing the gap with Markey and has the momentum in this race,” Moulton campaign spokeswoman Taylor Hebble said in a prepared statement.
“Senator Markey has near-universal name recognition and 50 years in office, yet hasn’t cracked 50% of the vote in any of these polls.
“That is a clear signal that Massachusetts doesn’t want the status quo — they want a proven fighter who can take on Trump and bring about real change,” she added. “That’s Seth Moulton.”
Moulton’s campaign has also touted that the congressman has raised more than $3.2 million compared with Markey’s more than $1.6 million since he entered the race last year. It also points to FEC data showing Markey is spending more money than he’s taking in for campaign contributions.
Meanwhile, third-party electioneering groups backing Moulton and Markey are pumping millions of dollars into TV and digital ads, criticizing the others records and positions on issues from immigration to transgender rights.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.