Poll shows trouble for Martha Coakley in Mass. governor's race

Uh oh, things aren't looking good for Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts governor's race.

A new Boston Globe poll shows Republican Charlie Baker with a 9-percentage-point lead over the Democratic attorney general among likely voters. The same survey last week had Baker and Coakley tied, and the Republican's surge is being attributed to rising support from independent voters — the group that propelled Gov. Deval Patrick to victory over Baker in 2010.

From pollster John Della Volpe, whose SocialSphere company conducted the Boston poll:

There is just positive movement in every single metric we can ask around Baker. The more voters have gotten to know him, the stronger he performs.

Coakley famously lost a U.S. Senate race in 2010 and was defeated by then little-known Republican Scott Brown for the seat long held by Edward Kennedy, the Democratic icon. She had a huge lead,  but wasn't particularly warm on the campaign trail and made a series of missteps. A big faux pas: Coakley suggested Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, a star on the 2004 World Series-winning team, was (horrors!) a Yankees fan.

If she wins, Coakley would become the first woman elected governor of Massachusetts. But the Democrat has been fighting the perception for several weeks that she could blow another winnable race within her reach. Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns Friday in Boston for Coakley, who also has received support from Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama and Vice President Biden.