Martha Coakley’s Small Margin of Victory Isn’t Inspiring Confidence
Martha Coakley may have won the Massachusetts’ Democratic governor primary, but her slim six-point margin of victory isn’t doing much to assuage Democrats worried about another 2010.
Coakley took 42 percent of the vote to Steve Grossman’s 36 percent and Don Berwick’s 21 percent on Tuesday’s election. Coakley’s six-point margin is a rather uncomfortable primary win, particularly given that Coakley had a 20-point lead in The Boston Globe poll as recently as two weeks ago.
The margin is bringing up memories of her failed 2010 Senate race, when Coakley lost to Scott Brown in a race to replace the longtime seat of Ted Kennedy, as Politico explains.
“Her narrow win is certain to revive memories of her late-campaign fade against Republican Scott Brown in a 2010 Senate special election —’’ Politico writes, “and some Democratic strategists worried that a weak finish in the primary could knock Coakley off her frontrunner footing heading into the general.’’
The Boston Globe’s Scot Lehigh made those similar concerns clear in his column, saying that Coakley’s small margin of victory “raises doubts’’ about her.
“That should send a frisson of unease up the collective Democratic spine, a worry that it’s starting to look a lot like 2010,’’ Lehigh writes.
Coakley faces Republican Charlie Baker in the coming general election.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com