political parties in Massachusetts are approaching a crossroads, as fewer new registrants choose to affiliate with either party and the number of unenrolled voters climbs to historic highs. Since 1978, the number of unenrolled voters in Massachusetts has soared by 97 percent, while the two major parties each added just 9 percent to their rolls. […]
Steve Koczela
Steve Koczela is the President of The MassINC Polling Group, where he has grown the organization from its infancy to a nationally known and respected polling provider. During the 2014 election cycle, MPG conducted election polling for WBUR, the continuation of a three-year partnership. Koczela again led the endeavor, producing polls which came within one point of the margin in both the Massachusetts gubernatorial and U.S. Senate Elections. He was also lead writer for Poll Vault, WBUR’s political reporting section during the 2014 Election Cycle.
He has led survey research programs for the U.S. Department of State in Iraq, in key states for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, and has conducted surveys and polls on behalf of many private corporations. Koczela brings a deep understanding of the foundations of public opinion and a wide ranging methodological expertise. He earned U.S. Department of State recognition for his leading edge work on sample evaluation in post conflict areas using geospatial systems.
Koczela is frequent guest on WBUR as well as many other news and talk programs in Massachusetts and elsewhere. His polling analysis is often cited in local, state, and national media outlets. He currently serves as President of the New England Chapter of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (NEAAPOR). Koczela holds a Master’s degree in Marketing Research from the University of Wisconsin and is a veteran of the war in Iraq.
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Is DCF really stretched thin?
Many of the stories covering the recent tragedies on the watch of the Department of Children and Families tend to portray an agency stretched thin by budget cuts over the last several years. Yet a close look at the available data suggests the lower budget for the agency since 2009 corresponds closely with a drop […]
Posted inPolitics
Boston’s challenge for the GOP
The partisan divide between cities and less urbanized areas is growing into one of the defining characteristics of Massachusetts politics. The suburbs are often held up as the place where elections are won or lost, but a steady long-term shift in urban voting is rendering suburban voters less able to change the outcome. Cities’ relatively […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Outsider act of Warren, Patrick hard to follow
To outsiders looking to make a splash in Massachusetts politics, Deval Patrick and Elizabeth Warren are guiding lights. Each ascended as political novices from relative unknown to statewide officeholders, winning in their first run for office. Observers of (and candidates in) the current gubernatorial contest have pointed to their examples to explore whether other newcomers […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Back Story
No good data on heroin epidemic
A correction has been made to this story and the accompanying chart. Information on the correction is available at the bottom of the story. Gov. Deval Patrick declared it a public health emergency. Senate President Therese Murray is calling it an epidemic. Everywhere you turn there are reports that opiate addiction and overdoses are out […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
State salary numbers don’t tell full story
To read the headlines in the two Boston papers last week would lead one to think that government salaries are spiraling out of control: “More than 1,000 state employees get pay hiked over $100,000,” blared the Herald. The Globe fronted with the raw number: “Nearly 9,000 state workers earned at least $100,000.” The Herald went […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Where are the most “swingers” in Massachusetts?
Read the original post on massincpolling.com Democrats have had a lock on the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation (as well as every statewide office) for some time now, with the exception of Scott Brown’s brief tenure as our junior U.S. Senator. To change this reality, Republicans (and independents) need to find voters who can be persuaded to […]
Posted inPolitics
The blue-red color divide in Massachusetts
On a national political map, Massachusetts is reliably blue, a Democratic stronghold. The congressional delegation is all Democrat, the State House is overwhelmingly Democrat, and every constitutional officer is a Democrat. While Republicans occasionally break through (Scott Brown’s US Senate victory in 2010 or the string of Republican governors elected from 1990 through 2002), the […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Gubernatorial candidates scramble for money
Very real differences are emerging between the candidates for governor in terms of their ability to raise money from voters in Massachusetts who could actually vote for them in November. Looking at the fundraising totals from 2013 for the gubernatorial candidates, six of the candidates are drawing more of their total amount from within the […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Small donors: nice sound bite, not much money
It has become something of a cliché for political campaigns to tout, when announcing the month or quarter or year’s fundraising totals, the large percentage of donations from small donors — the implication being that having a large share of small donors translates into impressive grassroots support. To support this assertion, campaigns report the number […]