Polls

Poll: Scott Brown leads big over potential Dem challengers

by Jonathan Easley - 01/25/13 8:13 PM ET

{mosads}Brown takes 53 percent support in the poll, over Markey at 31 percent. A match-up of Brown against a generic Democratic ballot is considerably closer, but Brown still leads, 44 to 36 percent.

A strong majority of Democrats, 71 percent, would like to see a primary battle to determine their candidate, and they might get just that. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) is planning a challenge for the Democratic nomination, the Boston Globe reported Friday.

His decision comes even as Markey has racked up numerous big-name endorsements from prominent Massachusetts and national Democrats, notably Kerry himself and the National Democratic Senatorial Committee. 

Brown has a strong favorability rating with Massachusetts voters, at 55 percent positive, but his numbers in head-to-head match-ups against the Democrats are possibly inflated because voters are unfamiliar with the Democratic candidates.

Fifty-nine percent said they had no opinion on Markey, and 66 percent said they had no opinion on Lynch.