Less than half of Massachusetts residents approve of Gov. Maura Healey’s performance as governor, and far fewer say she “deserves to be reelected” in 2026, according to a survey released by the University of New Hampshire this week.

The two Republicans hoping to challenge Healey during the statewide general election next year immediately latched onto the results of the poll as proof that the Democrat’s popularity is slipping more than halfway through her first term in office.

But Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan said Healey will be reelected because she is “focused on the issues that matter to most voters” in the state, like lowering the cost of living, building more housing, improving transportation and education, and standing up to Donald Trump

“What is undeniable is that Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly reject Donald Trump and his disastrous agenda. Try as they might, Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve cannot hide from their support for Trump’s policies. Voters will reject their brand of failed MAGA Republican politics,” Kerrigan said in a statement to the Herald.

The poll of 907 Massachusetts residents, conducted through an online survey, found 49% approved of Healey’s job performance, 45% disapproved, and 6% were neutral or unsure. Her approval rating was three percentage points lower than a UMass Amherst poll from February.

An overwhelming 78% of Democrats think Healey is doing a good job while only 39% of independents — the largest group of voters in Massachusetts — and 5% of Republicans gave the governor a thumbs up, according to the poll.

Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist and former MBTA official running for governor as a Republican, said the survey is “devastating” for Healey because it shows voters have “clearly lost confidence in her.”

“I don’t blame them,” he said in a statement. “She’s driven up spending, driven out jobs, and made life more expensive for everyone except illegal immigrants. I’ve led turnarounds in business and in state government, and I’m the Marine who can take Beacon Hill and fix Healey’s mess.”

A spokesperson for Mike Kennealy, another Republican running for governor who previously served in Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration, said the University of New Hampshire survey validated their own internal polling from February that found Healey had a 45% approval rating.

“Maura Healey is vulnerable and Mike Kennealy is the only Republican candidate that can defeat her,” the spokesperson, Logan Trupiano, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Healey did not respond to a Herald inquiry Friday.

Healey announced earlier this year that she plans to seek a second term as governor. But only 37% of Massachusetts residents think she “deserves to be reelected while 40% say she does not “deserve” a second term, and 23% don’t know or have no opinion, the UNH survey found.

Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director John Milligan said the poll results show Healey is “beatable” next year.

“The problems that she has that are dragging her approval ratings down are not going away anytime soon,” he told the Herald Friday afternoon. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them dip further, which, again, is good news for us. An incumbent underwater this far out from the general election, there’s blood in the water.”

A majority of Democrats, 60%, think voters should send Healey back to Beacon Hill’s corner office, but only 32% of independents and 4% of Republicans agree, according to the poll.

Healey had strong popularity marks in other polls released this year.

A Morning Consult survey from April showed Healey had a 58% approval rating, while a Fiscal Alliance Foundation poll from March found 66% of likely voters either had a “strong” or “somewhat” favorable opinion of the governor.

An internal poll conducted by the Democratic Governors’ Association found Healey had a 59% job approval rating, according to a summary of the survey provided to the Herald.

Massachusetts residents listed familiar topics in the University of New Hampshire survey as the top issues facing the Bay State.

Twenty-one percent of survey respondents cited housing as the top issue facing the state, with immigration and cost of living coming in second and third, respectively, according to the poll.

The survey also found that 9% of those surveyed listed “left/leftish politicians” as a major issue, while 7% listed “corrupt/incompetent government” as a top problem.

Respondents also expressed concern about U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who is also up for reelection in 2026. More than half of the Massachusetts residents surveyed, 55%, said they are very or somewhat concerned about the 78-year-old’s age.

Only 33% think he deserves to be reelected, while 43% do not, and 25% don’t know or have no opinion. A majority of Democrats surveyed, 54%, think voters should send Markey back to Washington, but only 26% of independents and 2% of Republicans agree, according to the poll.

Markey said last year he would seek a third term.

John Deaton, who ran last year as a Republican against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, has said he is considering challenging Markey next year.

But his decision comes with caveats, including that he does not want to face a candidate backed by President Donald Trump in a primary election.