A year out from the 2026 election, a new poll shows Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey leading all three of her would-be Republican challengers, who are still building critical name-recognition with the broader electorate.

Despite garnering millions of dollars in donations, GOP hopefuls Mike Kennealy, Brian Shortsleeve and Michael Minogue have work ahead of them, according to the UMass Amherst/WCVB-TV poll released Wednesday.

More than half of all respondents (52%) to the poll of 800 state residents said they were “not too familiar” or “not familiar at all” with the Republican aspirants.

The new poll, however, suggests the ground could shift quickly: 48% said they were familiar with the GOP candidates, putting the 4-point gap within the poll’s 4.1% margin of error.

Kennealy and Shortsle

See Full Page