PPP poll shows Markey only 3 points behind Brown

[karynnj]

Given that Brown is better known at this point, this is good news. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/poll-scott-brown-leads-ed-markey-slightly-86944.html

Here is the PPP link: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2013/01/brownmarkey-would-start-out-as-toss-up.html

From the PPP report:

Brown starts out leading Markey by just 3 points in a head to head match up, 48/45. 69% of the voters currently undecided voted for Elizabeth Warren in November, while only 17% of them voted for Brown. If those folks ended up voting for the same party that they did in November, Markey would lead Brown by a point. Brown may be starting out at 48%, but it's a very hard path to 50 for him given who the undecideds are.

The comparatively large number of undecided voters who lean Democratic is a function of Markey having 73% name recognition at this point compared to 93% for Brown. Markey starts out as the much stronger potential Democratic candidate- Lynch trails Brown by 9 points at 48/39.

The primary for the special election looks like it will be a blowout. Markey starts out with a 52/19 lead over Lynch. Lynch actually has a net negative favorability rating with Democratic voters- only 27% see him positively to 28% with a negative opinion. Markey, on the other hand, is quite popular with the party base- 58% of Democrats have a favorable opinion of him to only 13% with an unfavorable one.

The polling was on the 1/29 and 1/30 (yesterday and today - they really processed it quickly!)